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Desperate at 3 A.M.? From 3 a.m. “Playdates” to Full Nights of Sleep
From 3 a.m. “Playdates” to Full Nights of Sleep: Sean & Joanna’s Story of Hope, Grit, and a Well-Rested Baby
What happens when you're so sleep-deprived that a three-hour wake-up in the middle of the night feels normal? For Sean and Joanna, that was rock bottom—and the moment everything started to change.
Let me tell you about a family who reminds me why I do what I do.
Sean and Joanna were living what many tired parents would call “the fog.” Their 13-month-old son was waking multiple times a night—sometimes for hours—and they were running on fumes. Joanna, a physician, was disheartened by the fact that all her medical training did not provide her with the knowledge and tools to solve her own child’s sleep struggles”.. Sean was full-time at home dad and feeling the emotional and physical weight of crappy naps, long nights and trying to care take an active baby boy. By the end of the day, Dad was “ready for the hand-off” of baby to mom so he could get an break.
This couple was trying SO HARD to be present and engaging for their son, hold it together for each other, and survive their days on broken sleep and coffee. Sound familiar?
Until one night… when they had a “3 a.m. playdate”with their toddler. Not planned. Not fun. Just… wide awake. For hours.
“That was it,” Sean said. “I hit a wall. I went online and searched for help. That’s when I found Joanna.”
Yep. That’s me.Most families do indeed land on my website between 1am and 5am out of sheer desperation to end sleepless nights.
🎥 Watch Sean and Joanna share how sleep coaching transformed their family life.
(Click to watch their story—it’s heartfelt, honest, and under 5 minutes!)
☁️ The Turning Point: A Gentle Plan Built for Their Family
When we started working together, I knew we had a few important pieces to honor:
Mom was still nursing, and that nursing bond and relationship mattered deeply.
They were committed to a gentle, responsive approach.
Their son was what we call a “tough cookie”—in other words, he had opinions. 🙂
We went slow. We got strategic. And we stayed consistent. Sean was 100% all in and ran the coaching plan like a champ. Joanna supported with trust and patience while juggling a full-time job. And I was right there with them—making sure we paced everything just right.
Was it instant? Nope.
Was it worth it? 1000%.
“We followed your word like it was the gospel,” Sean told me. “Now he sleeps through the night. I can’t give a better recommendation than that.”
🌙 The After: Calm Evenings, Joyful Mornings, and One Rested Family
Today, their son:
Goes to bed around 7:30–8 p.m.
Sleeps peacefully through the night until 6 or 6:30 a.m.
Turns off the light himself (!), plays quietly, and puts himself to sleep with a smile
Let’s pause right there: That’s not just sleep. That’s confidence. Security. Peace. Independence.
And the ripple effect? Huge.
Joanna is now sharp and efficient at work. Sean and their son enjoy their days together again—playing outside, connecting with joy instead of frustration. They’ve even taken an overnight couples trip while a relative babysat—something they never imagined possible a few months ago.
“There’s so much more joy now,” Joanna told me. “We’re not surviving anymore—we’re living again.”
✨ Real Talk for Exhausted Parents
If you're in that fog right now, here’s what I want you to know:
You are not failing. You are not alone. And you do not have to figure this out by yourself.
I’ve been a certified pediatric sleep coach for 14+ years, and I’ve helped hundreds of families just like Sean and Joanna’s. The truth is—sleep is learned. And with the right strategy, the right support, and a plan rooted in science and compassion, things can change.
Because when your child learns to sleep—you all get your lives back.
🎯 Let’s Make Sleep Happen for You
If you’re nodding along to Sean and Joanna’s story, and you're ready to say goodbye to 3 a.m. chaos...
➡️ Ready for your own transformation? Let’s talk.
Let’s start with an easy first step, schedule a Sleep Strategy Session so me, you and your partner can have an 1 hr long zoom session so I can properly assess the sleep situation and determine if you need one-on-one sleep coaching support.
Let’s get your baby sleeping—and get YOU your sanity back.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!
On Behalf Of the 12 Million Infants & Toddlers: I Am Listening and Learning!
Did you know there are 12 million infants and toddlers in the United States. Did you know more than half (51%) of America’s babies are children of color. Did you know the state where they are born and live during their first three years makes a big difference in their chance for a strong start in life. These precious children face big challenges, and we can’t afford to look away or squander the potential of every single child. Thus, I am seeking out and listening very carefully to voices of People of Color because black women and men have been leading the fight for liberation and justice for centuries. Its time to really listen. We need to follow their leadership and hear their voices to take the right next steps.
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I am hesitating even sending out this blog because of all the hurting going on in our nation. I am outraged. I am heartbroken.
Did you know there are 12 million infants and toddlers in the United States?
Did you know the state where they are born and live during their first three years makes a big difference in their chance for a strong start in life?
Did you know that more than half (51%) of America’s babies are children of color?
The cutest and most innocent among us face big challenges. We must embrace the changing portrait of our nation’s babies and commit to end the racism that infects not only them, but us all. We can’t afford to squander the potential of a single child.
In that light, I am seeking out and listening very intently and carefully to voices of People of Color because the reality is we need to listen. After all, People of Color have been leading the fight for liberation for centuries. We need to follow their leadership and hear their voices to take the right next steps.
We all need restorative sleep to stay healthy and grounded. We need sleep so we can be patient and kind to one another during this incredibly emotional and challenging time in our nation. Because getting good sleep helps everyone sink into a more open and compassionate heart, I don't want to stop efforts to help tired parents.
Many parents are emailing me and are relying on the below information to help them solve their sleep struggles and they need the help RIGHT NOW.
So with deep compassion, I am following up on my promise to provide reliable information
In my Facebook Live from 5/28 I stayed for 1.5 hrs to answer every last question from all the exhausted parents that needed the right next steps to get some quality sleep. I have always promised to post the video so you can go back and listen and earn.
I will always send out the recording of the Facebook LIVE so here is the recording from 5/28/20. Some of the important topics I covered were.
How to handle regressions.
When do I know if I need to sleep train my child.
How can I help my child sleep later in the morning.
Some of the resources I shared were:
Sleep Matters: Get your Ages and Stages Day & Night Sleep Guidelines
https://www.blissfulbabysleepcoaching.com/sleep-chart
Get Motivated for a Robust Training: Do’s & Dont’s: Understanding Everything About Sleep with your 6-15 month old.
https://www.blissfulbabysleepcoaching.com/sleep-in-2020
If you are in the mood to join me, I am going to do another session of GET YOUR LIFE BACK...IT STARTS WITH SLEEP on Thursday June 11 at 2pm PST.
Please don't hesitate to ask me about ANYTHING that has you confused about your child's sleep! Please submit this form Now so I can prepare a detailed answer for you.
Most importantly, please all lets take time to really open and hear the voices that matter right now.
In peace, justice, love and solidarity,
Joanna Clark of Blissful Baby Sleep Coaching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDELx41-nmQ&w=560&h=315
Empathy & Co-Regulation: The Key to Less Tears When Sleep Coaching
Did you know that empathy and the concept of “co-regulation” is critically important to understand during your sleep coaching process? In fact, one of the best ways to minimize crying during the sleep coaching process is to fully understand the how to effectively drop into empathy and co-regulation with your child. You will learn everything you need to know in this insightful interview with Chantal Donnelly, a Nervous System Expert and Physical Therapist!
Did you know that empathy and the concept of “co-regulation” is critically important to understand during your sleep coaching process?
In fact, one of the best ways to minimize crying during the sleep coaching process is to fully understand the how to effectively drop into empathy and co-regulate with your child.
Also, it is imperative that the parent understands their own stress responses so the parent can stay properly “regulated” during the time they are offering emotional and physical support during the sleep coaching learning process. If you have not done so, you might also want to watch the interview on all the tips and tricks to manage your own stress responses. Mystery Solved: Understanding Your Stress Responses. After all, we all want to be less reactive, less shut-down and enhance our meaningful connection to others.
Below is the engaging interview where we dive deep into these important topics with Chantal Donnelly of Body Insight. Chantal has a unique combination of expertise. She is a stress management and nervous system expert, as well as a physical therapist and a certified Resilience Toolkit Facilitator. In other words, Chantal deeply understands the science behind the mind-body connection. Watch our interview below to learn more!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBlE39BZpNg?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
In this interview, Chantal also mentions Brene Brown’s work on Empathy and I wanted you to also have this video to reference. This will not only be helpful in your parenting journey, but it most certainly will enhance your marriage!!
Brene Brown Empathy video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw
If you loved what Chantal had to say, please know that Chantal is hosting a
COMPLIMENTARY NERVOUS SYSTEM RESET WORKSHOP.
Saturday May 30th at 11 am (PST) / 2PM EST.
Here is what you can expect to learn on the May 30th Workshop.
1. Chantal will discuss why some people are noticing that the stress of the pandemic is flaring up some old, familiar physical pain in their bodies. Hint: Stress and pain are intimately interrelated.
2. Chantal will talk about the myth of “self-care” and how to know if your self-care is helping you or harming you.
3. Chantal will review the 6 cranial nerves that activate your calming nervous system. We are going to learn some new tools that directly target those nerves.
If you would like to attend, please email Chantal and I will send you the Zoom link!
Chantal Donnelly, MPT, Certified Resilience Toolkit Facilitator
Body Insight Inc.
chantal@bodyinsight.com
https://www.bodyinsight.com
213.215.6778
May you stay healthy in body, mind and spirit!