This is the experience of a 5 month old.

This is the experience of a 5 month old.
“When my daughter was about 5 months old she stopped sleeping. She had been an excellent sleeper  up until then and I was baffled. I had been diligent about trying to let her put herself to sleep and was determined to have at least one good sleeper as my son was not!. After about a month of nobody sleeping, I called Tracy in tears and begged for her help. I had found her through The Sleep Lady website when I was at my wits end and Kim West’s methods were my favorite and I had read EVERY sleep book when my son was an infant. Tracy is truly an angel. She talked me through my tears, talked to my husband, and we arranged for some sleep nudging to begin. Tracy talked to my husband and I for about 2 hours and we made a plan. She was very specific with her directions and explained everything thoroughly. I followed her instructions and we began the following night. Within 3 nights my daughter was falling asleep within 5-10 minutes and was sleeping 12 hours straight. Tracy and I talked each morning. I believe she truly has a gift as she listened to what I did during the night and knew just what to do/how to adjust things and support me so that my daughter would sleep. It really helped me get through some of the tears knowing that I had a professional to talk to in the morning who would tell me what I did right and what to change. Now when we fall out of our routine, I know what to do to get my daughter back to sleeping all night. It is the most wonderful thing in the world to wake up to the sounds of a happy well-rested child. My son never got enough sleep and therefore never woke up happy and I wish we would have contacted Tracy back when he was 6 months old; the difference is worth every penny!!
Tracy also helped us with my son. He was a much tougher case because he was older and we (my husband and I) made the decision to transition him out of his crib into a bed and move his sister into his room all at once. Poor guy. Tracy was again so flexible and great at tailoring a sleep plan for our family’s needs and situation. While he is definitely not perfect, he is finally able to really put himself to sleep and sleep all night in his bed most nights. Any flaws in his sleeping are because we didn’t follow Tracy’s advice 100%, but the bottom line is how he is sleeping now works for us and we are all getting sleep. I seriously wish we would have invested the money with Tracy when my son was younger. I would have been a much happier momma and he would have been a much happier little guy and I know he would be a much better sleeper now.
Thank you Tracy for everything. I constantly sing your praises to all my friends and you gave my family back some much needed sleep!
xoxo
Runa”

Getting back on Track for Fall

Getting Back on Track for the Fall

With the sun staying out later, less structured routines and holiday fun,  sleep and routines often get off track in the summertime. Now that Fall and school are around the corner it may be time to get back on track. Here are a few tips:
Re-establish daytime and bedtime routines and family rules. This may be met with some resistance but it’s an important part of getting back into the swing of things.
Ease into the earlier bedtime. If you have some flexibility, start putting your child to bed 15 minutes earlier every night or two. Make sure the bedroom is nice and dark to block out the light at bedtime and in the morning.
Getting back to sleep. If your child’s sleep has gotten off track or the sleeping arrangements have changed due to travel or visitors, it may be necessary to implement a sleep coaching plan. If you used one previously you can try the same method again if your child’s age or circumstances haven’t changed too drastically. If you child is over 18 months old you might want to try Kim West’s  Sleep Shuffle Method Highlighted in her book ‘Good Night Sleep Tight’
If you are not sure what approach to take note our workshops and tradeshows listed below or consider a full or 15 minute consult with Certified Sleep Consultants, Andrea Strang, Tracy Spackman or Heather Irvine.
Need Sleep? 6 Things Keeping your Child awake
1. Hunger – learned, need or habit, night feeds can still be maintained while your child learns sleep skills.
2. Bedtime too late – aim for a bedtime between 6pm and 8pm. Watch your child’s cues and put him/her down before she is overtired.
3. Nap deprived –  insufficient day sleep can cause sleep disturbances.
4. Going down at bedtime too drowsy or asleep –whatever comforts or tools we have when we fall asleep, we will need them all night long. So if a parent gets the child too sleepy or completely asleep at bedtime, the child will need them to provide the same service in the middle of the night.
5. Inconsistency – it’s important to offer a consistent response at bedtime and through the night otherwise we can confuse the child and encourage crying.
6. Medical condition A small percentage of sleep problems are caused by medical or other conditions. The most common medical issues affecting sleep are allergies, asthma, eczema, apnea and reflux.
Upcoming Events
Interested in having  Tracy,  Andrea or Heather Speak at your group? We are available in the following locations:
Pheonix, Arizona,     Los Angeles, California,    Boston, Mass.(Nov),    Southern, Ontario,   Ottawa Ontario,     London, Ontario.
Upcoming Trainings:  
Night Specialist Training and Certification Program
Begins September 6, 2012
The Night Specialist training prepares you to work in-home with families assisting in carrying out sleep plans created by Child Sleep Consultant.
For more information: http://childsleepinstitute.com/night-specialist-training/

Working with the Sleep Lady

I had the opportunity to work with Kim West the Sleep Lady this past month.  I was answering questions on her Facebook page and helping tired families from her parenting club on weekly Q&A calls.  It directed many families to my own Facebook page.  I love answering questions and having a forum for my clients to share their successful experiences with other tired families.  Check it out. http://www.facebook.com/QuietNights  One family who is in the middle of the sleep coaching process has been posting pictures of her experience.  It’s funny. Let me know if you need help!
Tracy

 

I am a Sleep Coach

I am a Sleep Coach.
About Me.
My Name is Tracy Spackman.  I am passionate about all things family and I love this sleep topic.  It’s fun to have this in common with my sister-in-law Andrea Strang from Ontario, Canada.  She is my inspiration. I witnessed the magic of sleep coaching with my good friend and it’s been great to offer her extra support in the program.  I have a background in management with design on the side.  I have been family focused for the past 14 years and have wanted to write a book about what I’ve learned along the way.  I think I’ll start with a blog. I have a terrific husband and 5 fabulous children ranging in ages from 4-13.  I’m a Canadian living in Phoenix, Arizona and I love the sun.  I am a trained and certified Gentle Sleep Coach.  I was trained by Kim West the Sleep Lady.  I have had every success in sleep coaching.

Why I became a sleep coach.

I had a friend who was miserably sleep deprived because her young 1 year old child was miserably sleep deprived. Neither of them was getting enough sleep. Through sleep coaching, her world changed. She learned what pieces to the sleep puzzle her 1 year old had been missing and once put in place, both their worlds changed. Once the baby was sleeping, so was my friend. They both became happy and adjusted. I was amazed at the power of a good night’s sleep. This was the perfect career for me. I am passionate about all things family and sleep is a big part of the family puzzle.