Gentle Sleep Support.

Because sleep matters

About 7 months in with my firstborn and she was waking almost every 45 minutes through the night. I was absolutely exhausted and really struggling. Somehow I’d manage to get myself together each day and go out to see friends, but when the evening came round I’d feel that awful pit in my stomach... here we go again. I was obsessed with sleep. Researching and reading all I could to try and understand why my little one was so bad at it.

Why is sleep so hard? It should be easy right? I remember thinking, ‘if you’re so tired why won’t you just sleep?!’

A few weeks later, a friend told me about a sleep consultant she’d used with her son that was brilliant and I started to consider it. I was apprehensive at first. From what I had gathered ‘sleep training’ was just variations of ‘cry it out’ methods, and although I have no judgment towards anyone who takes that route (I believe being a well-rested parent is important!) I just couldn’t do it. The thought of letting my baby cry herself to sleep without me just didn’t sit right, but at the same time I was desperate and so I booked in with the consultant to see what she had to say.

I can never be more grateful to that friend, because honestly going down this route changed my life. Turns out there are gentle ways to sleep train your child, backed with science that I could understand and get on board with. I was able to connect the research I’d been reading to really practical and manageable steps. It might take a bit longer going down the gentle route, but in 6 weeks my daughter could go to bed awake, fall asleep independently and sleep through the night. I honestly couldn’t believe it.

Now I’ve been there, thinking ‘I’m sure it works for some kids but it’s not going to work for my baby..’ but what I didn’t realise is that falling asleep independently is a skill that needs to be learnt, we aren’t born with it. Yes it’s true, some babies pick it up naturally with very little help, others take longer, and eventually ALL children will learn. But if you’re like me and couldn’t wait around until that happened naturally, then this is the process for you.

I honestly understand just how debilitating sleep deprivation can be. It takes such a huge toll on your mental health, your relationships, and the way you want to parent your children. Because of this, if for any reason we can’t improve the sleep of your child then I’m more than happy to give you your money back. I set up Gentle Sleep Support, not as a money making venture, but because I really just want to help. Parenting is hard enough without being painfully tired.

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I’m fascinated by sleep. In the last three years I’ve been on the end of voice notes and phone calls to multiple friends to help support them through sleep difficulties. I know how tough it is. All I ask is that you’re in a position to really commit to making a change; trying something for a day and giving up won’t get you very far. The most important thing is to be consistent in any changes and that’s where you’ll see results.

How it works.

A free introductory 20 minute call (or WhatsApp voice notes) just to make sure your situation is something I can help you with and for you to ask any initial questions.

We will then book in an initial consultation call for 1hr15. This will be a chance to get to know you, your current situation and your sleep goals. I’ll also share some of the science behind infant sleep, as well as provide some information to help start you off. I’ll then go away and make a plan tailored to your specific needs. It may be that the initial call is all you need; there might be some quick easy fixes or something simple to implement / trial for a while. If that’s the case then brilliant and I’m happy for you to reach out if you need any advice/adjustments in the future.

If you need a bit more support, after the initial consultation we will schedule a weekly 1 hour call. You may just need one of these calls, or a few, it all depends on the situation but I will let you know in the initial consultation. During this weekly call I can provide you with more science to understand what’s happening, and a tailored programme with gentle adjustments each week until your child is sleeping well.

Prices.

  • Initial Phone Call

    Free

  • First Consultation

    £80

  • Further Consultations

    £60

FAQs.

Can I still breastfeed during sleep training?

Yes! Breastfeeding your child doesn’t mean that you have to resign yourself to hundreds of night feeds until you wean. By following a gentle process your child will naturally drop night feeds themselves and you can continue to feed them like usual in the day.

My child is older, can you still sleep train?

Yes you can improve a child’s sleep at any age! However as a child grows, the methods will change according to their development. I only work with 4-12 month olds as this style of training suits younger babies best.

Will I have to leave my baby crying?

I do not use any method of ‘cry it out’. Although I know this strategy works for many babies, I personally am not comfortable in promoting anything that requires you to leave your baby alone to cry without the internal tools/skills that they need to settle themselves. I find this method does not create the feelings of trust and comfort which are needed for a child to develop a healthy relationship with sleep.

Are the sessions in person?

All sessions are conducted via zoom (with support between session via WhatsApp messages/voice notes).

When can I start sleep training?

You may have heard of (or are currently going through) the 4 month sleep regression. This is less of a ‘regression’ and more of a ‘progression’ where essentially your baby is going through some big developmental milestones, particularly around sleep where they are now starting to experience adult sleep cycles. This usually becomes noticeable as your baby may begin to wake up more at night, only have shorter naps in the day or become more fussy when needing to fall asleep. Until your baby goes through this change you cannot sleep train. I will also ask you on our first call if your baby can giggle. This is neurological developmental milestone that will tell me your baby is mature enough to learn these new skills.

  • "My second born was waking almost every two hours - sometimes more - and would only settle back to sleep while being breastfed. Layla showed me that it didn't have to be this way forever. With her simple, effective steps, she gently guided us until my baby could drift off on his own. The results were beyond what I could have imagined. I'm now a happier, well-rested mom, and I will be forever grateful to Layla for transforming our lives. I wholeheartedly recommend this training to anyone who's deep in the trenches of sleep deprivation."

    Nour Rushdy

  • “Before I spoke to Layla, my daughter Thea, wouldn't sleep longer than 90 minutes at a time - and I was exhausted. I knew we didn't want to use the cry-it-out method, and thankfully Layla introduced us to a much gentler approach. It worked wonders. I'm eternally grateful for her guidance and support throughout and would recommend her to anyone looking for advice!"”

    Chloe Hardy

  • “I thought we had a good sleeper and then the 4 month regression hit us hard... The nights were brutal and my little one would only stay asleep if she was attached to me. I struggled to get any decent sleep and I was desperate to find a way to make changes which didn't involve 'cry it out'. Layla helped guide us through a gentle process which really transformed our lives. Within 5 weeks our little one was falling asleep independently! It was hard work, but I learnt so much along the way and feel like I have the tools to tackle any sleep issues that might arise in the future."

    Sarah Turner

Contact.

Layla Grainger

layla.f.grainger@gmail.com