About Me

Hi, I’m Soma (and that’s Sam and Paddy!), I’ve been a Registered Nurse since 2010 and in 2013 qualified as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse and as part of my job have supported many tired parents with their children’s sleep which has always been a special interest for me. In 2016 my first son was born and I got a real insight into how all those parents I’d given advice to were really feeling! Sam was the ultimate sleep thief. I co-slept as he made it very clear from day one he needed to be close to me at all times, he breastfed mostly hourly (anything from 45 mins was normal for us, a 2 hour stretch of sleep was a rare treat!) up until the age of 14 months. I had returned to work when he was 11 months old, working night shifts with no childcare in the daytime meant absolutely no sleep for me; it became apparent our normal was no longer sustainable. Without my knowledge and experience I’m not sure how long we would have continued like this for, however, within 4 nights he went from hourly waking and feeding to sleeping through from 7pm-7am and has pretty much continued ever since (aside from the odd night terror).

 

In 2021 Paddy was born and initially I thought I had one of those unicorn babies I had heard about! Sadly after a couple of months of getting used to stretches of up to 6 hours sleep (bliss) he began to wake more frequently again! Now, he has very different sleep needs to Sam, he definitely needs less sleep overall, he dropped his day time nap really early, struggled with night weaning so needed a ,much more gradual approach and his sleep is always much more affected by illness and changes in routine. 

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Unfortunately, society isn't set up to support babies and their families and life today often means juggling motherhood without that much needed village, returning to work sooner than we’d like and having to fit this and everyday life in with a child who doesn’t sleep can be totally exhausting. But it is possible to find gentle and responsive ways to help your child settle to sleep and learn to return to sleep without you when they wake in the night. Every child is different, just as every parent is different so the techniques used will be different for each family. I love getting to know families and finding solutions that work for their individual child that parents feel confident and happy to put into place – there is  nothing better than hearing their child is now sleeping through the night and the difference this has made to their lives! Some times it's a quick fix and a child takes to it immediately, sometimes a child needs a bit more support with these transitions so can be a slower processes and it's important to go at whatever pace suits your child. 

 

So, Counting Sheep had been a long talked about dream and I’m really excited I’m finally getting to do it! I'm always happy to have a no obligation free chat to see if I'm the right fit for you. So, if you think I can help your family, then do get in touch.

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I look forward to hearing from you,

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Soma Amos   RN, SCPHN BSc (Hons), Level 3 Sleep Training. 

(Enhanced DBS).

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