A CBS news report examines the new trend among parents of hiring baby sleep consultants to help get their newborn to sleep and snooze safely.
Virtually any new mom and dad would tell you the sound of their baby crying is a nerve-wracking experience, and attempts to sooth a crying baby back to sleep can tire out even the most patient parent.
Now, a growing number of new parents are hiring “baby sleep consultants.” The consultants coach new parents on how to get their babies to go to sleep. Consultations can range from phone calls to actual overnight visits, costing anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over $1,000, depending on how much “coaching” a parent feels he or she might need.
The advice is practical. Melissa Zdrodowski of the firm Sleep Sisters advises parents to follow The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s gudielines for safe sleep, which includes “using a firm sleep surface such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib, dressing your baby in ‘sleep clothing,’ such as a one-piece sleeper, and always placing your baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night.”
“I view my role as a certified sleep consultant as helping educate parents about how sleep works for infants,” explained Zdrodowski.
