We were lucky to catch up with Kiersten Hansen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kiersten, appreciate you joining us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

I was recently able to work with a family virtually who had a 6 month old baby who didn’t through the night, and would only nap when her mom was holding her. The mother was exhausted and depressed, feeling the burden of being the only one who could calm the baby’s crying and feed her. She hadn’t slept through the night in over a year due to pregnancy, her toddlers, and having a new baby.

After our first consultation, they began to implement some of the strategies we discussed. Three days later, the mother called me and in a shaky voice said, “Kiersten, I’m wondering if maybe we started everything in the wrong order. I’m wondering if I should have gotten to a better place mentally and emotionally before working on my baby’s sleep.”

I could hear the anxiety and despair in her voice, and, as a trauma informed sleep consultant, I knew that she wasn’t in a place to talk about her baby’s sleep at that moment. I said, “Ok, I hear that concern, and we can definitely talk about your baby’s sleep. But I’m wondering if you would be willing to take a few deep breaths with me on the phone first.”

She agreed, and after a mindfulness exercise and a few deep breaths, she began to sob. She apologized for crying, and I assured her that she was not too much for me in that moment, that I had the space and time to be on the phone with her, and that crying was what her body needed. I continued to take deep breaths on the phone, offering her my regulated presence. After her tears began to quiet, I asked her about where she was sitting and what she could see. Those questions sparked follow up questions and I sensed she was becoming more grounded and present with less anxiety in her voice.

Then I said, “I want you to pay attention to how your body feels as I ask this next question. Are you ready to talk about your baby’s sleep?”

She said yes, and we were able to re-work their sleep strategies to something that felt more manageable for her nervous system.

At the end of that call, the tone of her voice was markedly different. Now, 6 weeks later, they are all sleeping better and mom’s outlook on life is much brighter.

Moments like those make sleep consulting feel like my calling. I do so much more than coach parents on teaching their babies to sleep. So much of my job is being the regulating presence to the parents so that they can help their children regulate their emotions. Getting better sleep requires nervous systems that are able to rest, and it is such a pleasure to be able to work and walk with families to help them move from chaos and fragmentation to calm and connection.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

When I tell people I’m a sleep consultant, a follow up question is often, “So how did you get into sleep training?”

It’s important to know that I’m not a sleep trainer. I’m a sleep consultant. While sleep training is certainly in my wheelhouse and sometimes what I do, parents come to me with all sorts of struggles around sleep for their babies and young children. Consultations are scheduled for families who…

-want help setting up their child’s sleep environment
-haven’t slept through the night in months
-are “accidental” co-sleepers
-are overwhelmed by the onslaught of information around baby sleep
-seem to be stuck in the “newborn stage” with their baby who definitely is NOT a newborn anymore
-have an 18 month old who still has to be rocked to sleep
-have a 2-3 year old who suddenly regresses and protests at bedtime
-have a 4-5 year old who only sleeps for 6 hours at night
-have a child who will only contact nap
-want help transitioning from bed sharing to having their baby in his/her own room
-are simply exhausted

How did I get into this? That’s a fun question! My first job after college was as a nanny to infant quadruplets and a toddler. I learned through that experience the value of rhythm and routine for babies, but also for the family. I walked through 2 years of development with those children, working together with a team of night nurses, their parents, and their pediatrician to adjust our days as the babies grew. After that experience, I had several families of twins and triplets contact me, wanting my help with their babies’ sleep. After teaching for several years and supporting families with multiples as a side hustle, I had a couple of families encourage me to start a business and pursue sleep consulting as more than a side gig. I decided to take the challenge, and I truly believe I will do this for the rest of my life.

With a background in Early Childhood Education and decades of experience as a nanny and teacher, I am an expert at stepping into family dynamics as an objective person who is there to help families meet their goals. Sleep is a foundational piece of our lives, and it affects our mental and physical well being. With training in mental health, attachment, and trauma’s effects on people and family systems, I bring a well-rounded perspective to sleep consulting.

I meet with families throughout the United States both virtually and in person.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If I could go back, I would get a B.S. in Nursing instead of education! I love learning about the brain and body connection, and how people carry stress and trauma in their bodies. I have pursued additional trainings in these areas and am now working on a Masters in Counseling Psychology, but if I could go back, I think a nursing degree would be up my alley. That said, I would use it all to enhance and lead to where I am today with sleep consulting. I love the overlap of what I’m doing with whole body health and wellness as I help families thrive.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Somehow, I “caught” the idea that self promotion and naming my strengths was frowned upon. As I’ve started this business, I’ve had to get used to telling people what makes me stand out and why they would benefit from meeting with me as a sleep consultant.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://conciergesleepconsulting.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conciergesleepconsulting/
• Other: https://coachme.conciergesleepconsulting.com/ultimate-guide-to-wake-windows