my qualifications and the hsb approach
I’m so glad you’ve stumbled upon this blog. Hi, I’m Rachael! I am the founder of Hey Sleepy Baby and a mom of 3 myself. I thought I would tell you a little bit about the sleep consulting industry and share some of my background and education. It’s so important that we are transparent so that you can trust your baby is in the best hands possible!
In truth, the world of sleep consulting is the “wild west.” It’s a completely unregulated industry, kind of like life coaching. It’s different from say, lactation consulting or doing therapy work because you don’t need a specific license and there is no governing body that regulates or certifies sleep consultants or “sleep trainers.” Scary, I know!
My story really began several years ago. I was a Special Education teacher at a public school here in the Bay Area of California. I was really struggling with my first baby’s sleep- he had all the red flags of colic, high sensitivity, tongue tie and more. I felt like it would never get better. Desparate for better sleep as I prepared to return to my teaching job, I did try a sleep “training” program that is still super popular to this day, at the suggestion of my pediatrician and other moms in my social circle. It felt horrible, and never worked for us (I talk about all the gory details in this post). So when I became pregnant with my second baby, I knew there had to be another option. I searched Instagram and ended up finding a few sleep accounts that seemed to have a totally different philosophy- and my life was forever changed.
In 2020, while on maternity leave with my second and pandemic lockdown, I decided to leave teaching in the classroom to pursue this new passion. I became a Baby-Led Sleep & Well Being Specialist through the Baby-Led Sleep Certification. This was a comprehensive program that included not just sleep biology but attachment science. What I learned built upon the knowledge I’d gained in my years studying child development. My undergrad program was a double major in Elementary and Special Education, and I later received a Master’s Degree in Special Education.
Hungry for more, I continued my education with Lyndsey Hookway’s Holistic Sleep Certification Mini Course, as well as Circle of Security Parenting. I’ve done extra professional development with the Neufeld Institute, The Possums Clinic, and most currently with Bebo Mia for Breastfeeding education. I feel strongly about having a well-rounded background and knowing about the intricacies of how sleep, feeding, and attachment all come together, and I love to learn!
I’m currently almost at the end of my latest educational endeavor (lifelong learner here 🤓), in fellowship for infant and parent mental health under Bruce Perry and Kristie Brandt among others, and will be graduating from UC Davis in the Spring as an Infant-Parent Mental Health Specialist.
My approach focuses on relationship and development before everything else. I do not use sleep training methods, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have tons of ideas for gently leading a baby toward better sleep. There are “baby-led” changes as well as “parent-led” changes, and I aim to equip each parent that takes my courses with the knowledge and confidence to decide the best path for them! Babies and families all function very differently. Infants have totally different needs, temperaments, and rates of development. Two babies the same age might require a difference of 8 hours in daily sleep for optimal functioning and health (right?!)- and families all have different goals and values!
