If you’re a parent, you’ll know – or you’ll remember – how precious sleep is for both bub and parents. But, particularly in the early days, sleep can be so hard to come by. Enter The Sleep Dept.
From baby sleep regressions to nap times, The Sleep Dept helps you navigate the mysterious world of infant sleep. Using a combination of gentle self-soothing techniques and age-appropriate routines adapted to your family’s comfort level, The Sleep Dept helps guide bub to sleep and encourages positive bedtime habits.
We caught up with Infant Sleep Specialist, Erika Lamour, about the brand, the biggest misconceptions about babies and children who find it difficult to sleep, and why she’s such a big fan of Boody’s everyday baby essentials.
Tell us a bit about what The Sleep Dept is.
The Sleep Dept helps parents create age-appropriate routines for their little ones which, over time, helps in guiding them in sleeping through the night.
What initially inspired you to create The Sleep Dept?
A love of babies is what initially led me down this path. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with babies. My first memory is of holding a baby! Over the years, I started to learn about the science of infant sleep which saw me read every book and study as many courses as possible and that is how The Sleep Dept came to be!
What are the biggest misconceptions about babies and children who find it difficult to sleep?
That it’s just the way it should be! Sure, we all know that new babies will wake every few hours (or less!), but there are also gentle ways we can help our babies in getting the amount of sleep that they (and we) need. I believe that the amount of sleep a parent needs is undervalued. It is just as important that parents get the sleep they NEED, and not just our babies.
What are your top tips for settling/resettling your baby?
Consistency! Babies don’t know when and for how long they are meant to sleep for, they just begin to understand the predictable steps that get them there. When we respond to our babies consistently, their predictability follows.
Talk to us about the different packages you offer.
We offer a range of packages that include remote packages that you implement with your family (with our support), or in-home packages where we help guide and support you in helping your little one sleep.
What sort of support do you provide sleep-deprived parents?
Unlimited! For the first two weeks, we check in every morning and as we start to see the consistency in the nights and the confidence in the parents, we are able to take a step back and let mum and dad make the decisions. Parents who use our guides have access to The Sleep Dept for as long as they need.
The reality is that a baby and their sleep patterns will change… A LOT. Especially in the first two years. To be able to have someone send a quick email to help understand why sleep is changing and what to do about it can be a huge help in getting back on track.
We hear your fans of Boody. What are your favourite styles, both for mum and baby?
Oh yes! For my son, we can’t get enough of the long sleeve onesies that he wears to bed and now we have used the baby muslin washcloths, there is no going back to ever using anything else – hands down, the BEST! For me, I am loving the crops – I wear them everywhere!
What are your plans for The Sleep Dept in the future? Anything exciting on the horizon?
We’ve just held our first event at The Grounds of Alexandria for Red Nose Day, with 100% of proceeds going to Red Nose directly. We are very passionate about educating parents about safe sleep practices. We have also just launched our online store. Our aim with this is to take the confusion out of what to buy for first-time parents. We will stock only the safest product in a particular category. Eg. safest bassinet, safest comforter etc.
Follow The Sleep Dept on Instagram and like them on Facebook.
