About
Originally from Los Angeles and now living in St. Louis, MO, I hold a Masters’s degree in Public Health from UCLA and a Physical Therapy degree from Boston University. I founded SleepyHead Solutions in 2013 after discovering my passion for children’s sleep issues when my oldest daughter would not sleep through the night. After reading countless sleep books by experts in the field and many nights filled with tears (from both of us), I successfully trained her (and my younger two daughters) to develop healthy sleep habits. I quickly realized how important sleep was to my girls’ development and behavior. Word got around and I became the go-to sleep guru for my friends, and friends of friends, so much so that I was inspired to start my own sleep consulting practice. I completed an extensive sleep-training program covering all aspects of baby and children’s sleep to become a certified infant and child sleep consultant through the Family Sleep Institute.
In 2019 I added to my toolbox by becoming certified as a child behavior consultant through Sharyn Timmerman and The Early Years, Inc. Child Behavior Certification Program. It is my goal to empower parents and provide them with the necessary tools to build foundations that will last a lifetime, to encourage respect and cooperation, and to provide strategies to set clear and respectful boundaries that encourage cooperation and calmness in the home.
My reputation for having a warm and non-judgmental personality immediately puts parents at ease. Through custom sleep plans, behavior recaps, 1:1 consultations, ongoing parental support, guest lectures, and group classes, my goal is to empower parents to teach their children to become healthy sleepers and to turn parenting challenges into learning opportunities. Together we can decrease the struggle and increase the cooperation with your children to help make parenting enjoyable and fun.
When I am not helping other families get a better night’s sleep and bring peace to their homes, I enjoy a balanced life spending time with my husband and my three girls, cooking, baking, and staying active.
Education and Training
Infant & Toddler Sleep Consultant Certification – Family Sleep Institute
Child Behavior Certification, The Early Years Family Development Centre, Inc.
Masters in Public Health, UCLA
Bachelors in Science, Physical Therapy; Boston University
Helping Your Child Sleep Through the Night; Nancy Birkenmeier, BSN, RN
Business Consulting for the Sleep Consultant, Ingrid Prueher
Gentle Sleep Training Techniques, Family Sleep Institute
Post Partum Depression and Sleep, Sarah Stern, PhD
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome for Professionals, Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths
Potty Training and Its Effects on Sleep, Ashley Hickey
Communication and the Family Meeting: “Recipes for Success”, Sharyn Timmerman, ECE
Chiropractic & Childhood Sleep Disturbances, Glory Eidt, D.C.
The Incidence, Pathophysiology and Treatment of GERD During Infancy, Warren Shapiro, MD
Sleep Development in Early Infancy, Professor Helen Ball, PhD
Safe Sleep and Child Care – Cheryl Carey, MSW
Common Breast Feeding Myths and Problems – Lyndsey Hookway, BSc, RN, IBCLC
Mindfullness and Sleep – Sasha Carr, PhD
Nutrition and Sleep – Jill Castle, MS, RD, LDN
Family Sleep Institute Safe Sleep Seminar- Katie Kovaleski
Solving Autism Related Sleep Challenges – Beth Malow
Supporting Families of Children with Disabilities and Sleep Problems – Julie Sutton, RN, PhD
The New Child- from Birth to 2 Years; The First 24 Months and Stages of Development – Sharyn Timmerman, ECE
Communication, Positive Guidance and The Developing Child – Sharyn Timmerman, ECE
The Intersection of Breastfeeding and Sleep Training – Brianna Violand, IBCLC, CSC, FSI Lactation Expert
The Bullied, the Bully, and the Not-So-Innocent Bystander – Barbara Coloroso