I have yet to meet bad sleepers. Just good sleepers trapped in bad habits.
Expect durable results: transformed children and adults
Get ready for some consistent, gradual and sustainable changes in your child’s life, which in turn will have a positive impact on your own life, your family well-being and overall parenting experience. What parents often describe as “problems” tend to be the”symptoms” of a situation out of balance. Isabelle’s work involves the finding out of what causes of the troublesome situation then, in collaboration with the parents, the building up of new parenting dynamics and as a result, the resolution of sleep issues.
To prevent issues: Expect between 1 and 2 consultations
As sleep related behaviours start to slip away, you might wish to acquire as much information as possible related to good sleeping habits. One or two sessions should be enough to sent you on the right path before the odd unpredictable behaviour develops into a crisis. Such consultations are all about understanding how sleep works, what it takes to be a good sleeper, and how to support a strong and predictable sleep hygiene depending on the physiological, neurological and cognitive development levels of your child.
To resolve a crisis: Expect between 4 and 6 consultations
Four is the number of consultations that are usually needed to get a child’s sleep back on track and the parents in a state of confidence and readiness to fly solo. The consultations are separated by one or two weeks depending on the age of the child and the level of crisis which Isabelle will be able to gauge during the introductory call. On occasions, some parents will only need three consultations or even two, and equally some will need a little extra support. It depends on a variety of factors related to the physical and emotional abilities of parents and children, family dynamics and personality traits. The consultations are a mixture of knowledge transfer, trouble shooting explanations with a continuous revaluation of the progress and limitations of the sleeper’s skills. The consultations are spread further apart as the support process unfolds. Access to Isabelle’s story and view on supporting children’s sleep
Expect guidance in line with your values
Isabelle Edmondson will spend a considerable amount of time to learn about your story, understand your values, cultural heritage and emotional load. She will thoroughly integrate them when providing plans and homework.
Expect the support of a consultant, not a coach
A consultant is an expert in the subject matter. A client relies upon a consultant to analyse a situation, understand the problem, then present an expert opinion and provide a solution. A consultant needs to be respectful and directive at the same time.
A coach engages with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their potential. A coach is not necessarily an expert in the subject matter covered.
Although you will find Isabelle has a high level of empathy and coaching skills, the nature of Good Sleepers’ services is a consultancy. Isabelle Edmondson’s field of expertise is the resolution of sleep difficulties linked to behaviour and parenting challenges. Isabelle is regularly supported by a range of professionals when the need to analyse specific situations arises. Amongst them are a midwife, a child and adolescent psychologist, a communication coach, mediator, and transactional analyst.
Expect a process
To rectify a crisis situation, expect a trouble shooting process:
- Expect a constant flow of questions to help identify amongst others the context of the situation, the difficulties at hand, the problem(s) to be solved , the parents and childrens’ natures, strengths and limitations, the family dynamics, the parental attachment styles etc.
- Expect a series of explanations (related to the context of the situation) to help the parents understand : where their child stands in terms of development – what affects their child sleep – what their child can and can’t do – What the problems are and how to fix them, etc.
- Expect homework! Whatever the stage of the process. You will be given homework-like tasks to be implemented after your consultation. They will be practical and accessible, tailored to your child’s needs and development . Sometimes and especially for toddlers, school children and teenagers, the tasks will seem unrelated to sleep but they will serve a purpose of parenting foundation vital to the achievement of a good sleeping habits.
Expect to be stepping out of your comfort zone, a fraction at a time.
There is always some comfort in the stability of a situation, however bad it is. Change means stepping out of that comfort zone. The fear of change is something very real and it affects even the strongest of characters. Isabelle’s job is to help you identify what changes need to be made in your and your child’s life, and help you implement them in safety (emotional and physical) without loosing your values, your identity or your beliefs.
Expect simplicity in pricing
Making the decision to transform your family’s life is difficult enough without having to agonise over what support package to choose. Isabelle does not work with packages but with a series of regular consultations to provide consistency. The consultations are one or two weeks apart to start with, then further apart as times goes by) Each consultation is invoiced separately at the time of the consultation. Access to price list
Good Sleepers core values, explained
Respect is at the core of Good Sleepers business. Without respect there is no trust, without trust there is no empowerment, without empowerment there is no progress. Respect isn’t just a question of politeness. It comes in many shapes and forms: Respect of individualities, needs, feelings, limitations, strengths, boundaries, engagements, identities, time, etc. 
Viability is a key element in the advice I give to my clients. It is very important for me that all guided actions and situations are viable. In other words, they must have all the attributes to be durable . When a situation is modified, I believe it must be modified in a sustainable manner or it is doomed to fail under pressure.
Integrity is the glue to any high level customer services. It is one of the most important work ethics to implement. It incorporates:
- Honesty: I shall only work within the boundaries of my capabilities and never take advantage of a client’s vulnerability.
- No-judgement: All adults parent with the best of their knowledge and abilities. Everybody is different and will not be judged for not coping or finding themselves in difficulties.
- Consideration and courage: these two values go hand in hand. They are both absolutely necessary in the efficiency of a human centred improvement process.
- Confidentiality: Every conversation and piece of information collected is safe and remains confidential unless the client explicitly agrees to share information.
Diligence is the art of being aware of the elements that could have an impact on the success or the failure of a project. Diligence isn’t just an attention to details. It is a constant situation reassessment, a necessity in the efficient unfolding of a trouble shooting process. Diligence is also a duty towards individuals to raise their awareness of any physical or emotional risk that could compromise them.
Collaboration is very important to the good running of good sleepers’ services. It is the essence of any strong and durable partnership. This alliance is only possible with the presence of mutual respect, and the elements of integrity (honesty, no-judgement, Consideration, courage and confidentiality). 
Clarity is a necessity when working with people who are sleep deprived. It leads to understanding and a build up of knowledge. This knowledge in conjunction with confidence is the source of mindful decisions leading to progress. 