My journey to becoming a mother was a long one, involving multiple doctors’ visits, invasive tests and eventually a successful round of IVF. Whilst I knew I wouldn’t find parenting easy, I perhaps hoped that my journey might bestow on me the patience that would help me through the challenges of motherhood. However, when Theo was born in August 2019, my naivety was quickly exposed and the reality and exhaustion of having a small baby hit me like a ton of bricks.

The first few months of his life were a daily struggle. I struggled to breastfeed, Theo had severe reflux that needed medicating and he cried almost all day every day. He barely napped, was a nightmare to get to sleep and woke frequently in the night.

His sleep became my obsession. I developed a long, convoluted and incredibly complicated routine to get him to sleep. Only I knew how to do this properly, and it would take up to 45 minutes to get him to sleep each time. Even then, he would wake up screaming after 30 minutes. He was tired and miserable most of the time, and my life revolved around his naps and bedtime.  

I logged every minute of sleep and awake time in the hope I would see a pattern. I scoured the internet: “how to make my baby sleep”, “why is my baby STILL not asleep”, “can a baby live without sleep?”. I found a mountain of advice, but it all contradicted itself – do I leave him to cry, or cuddle him to sleep? Do I make sure he sleeps in a cot from day 1 or co-sleep? Do I encourage the comfort of a dummy or avoid it as a dreaded sleep crutch?

With a Degree and Masters in Psychology, and a background business research, I knew what I had to do. I took a step back and did what I usually do in any other situation – I began to look into what scientists say. My fascination with the topic eventually led to me to the Holistic Sleep Coaching Course, an accredited OCN Level 5 qualification that focuses on scientific, evidence-based research into infant and child sleep. This was a game changer: not only would I become a qualified sleep coach, but I might be able to fix my own baby’s sleep in the meantime!

Theo’s sleep dramatically improved once I understood the science behind his problems. He woke after 30 minutes because that’s the length of a sleep cycle at that age. His sleep got worse at 4 months because that’s when their sleep matures to an adult-style sleep cycle. He slept worse on days when he didn’t nap because a build-up of stress hormones wouldn’t let his little brain relax into a deep sleep. And leaving him to cry didn’t just feel wrong because I was an emotional first-time mum, it is actually scientifically proven to be detrimental to the child.

My ethos when creating Doze was to provide families with what I struggled to find; simple, practical and evidence-based sleep advice. I also wanted to set up a consultancy that looks at all sleep issues holistically; working with families to uncover potential physiological, psychological and behavioural solutions. Most importantly, I wanted Doze to fit with what I knew about infant sleep biology and child attachment theories, and to never recommend anything that contradicted the science.

So, if you are looking for a clear and easy-to-follow plan to help improve your child’s sleep, you have come to the right place. I would love to work with you to understand your child, and help you find a gentle solution to your sleep problems.

So get in touch today to discuss how I can help you and your family.

Chloe Djabarouti