See what other parents have to say about their experiences working with Milwaukee sleep coach Joan!
Virtual Consultation
Baby Boy 5-month-old
Joan at Pea Pod Sleep Consultants was tremendous to work with. She listened with empathy as we explained our situation, providing insight and suggestions on how to proceed. Once a course of action was established she guided us calmly and confidently, checking in regularly and offering plenty of reassurance. After just two nights, our five month old baby – who had previously slept for stretches of no more than 1-2 hours at night and required extensive rocking, soothing, and shushing to fall asleep – was not only able to fall asleep independently, but was sleeping through the night! This was a no-brainer investment that gave us our sleep back. Thank you Pea Pod Sleep Consultants!
Brittany & Peter
Milwaukee, WI
Virtual Consultation
Jordana 9-month-old
We had amazing results with Joan in changing our baby’s sleep habit. Our baby since birth would only contact nap and needed to be rocked to sleep at night. My whole day was spent trying to get her to sleep, holding her while she was sleeping, and getting her back to sleep during her frequent wakings. Now she falls asleep on her own and is able to soothe herself back to bed if she wakes. She is also able to achieve her recommended sleep hours. It was an extremely hard process and we couldn’t have done it without Joan. She gave us the confidence and support to know we were doing the right thing for our baby and ourselves.
Nancy & Max
Eau Claire, WI
Virtual Consultation
5-month-old
Before working with Joan, our 5 month old son was taking 5 or 6 20-45 minutes naps, taking forever to fall asleep, needing us to repeatedly give him his pacifier when he’d wake up, and waking up frequently in the early mornings. We tried to make adjustments on our own, but as new parents, we had no idea what we were doing and our baby didn’t seem to fit the scenarios and solutions offered in various blogs and sites online. We were overwhelmed and exhausted! Joan helped us understand why he was sleeping the way he was, gave us suggestions based on our son’s specific behaviors, and really gave us the confidence we needed to put a plan in action. By the end of our two weeks, our son was falling asleep on his own and faster, taking fewer and longer naps on more of a predictable schedule, and sleeping later in the mornings. We’re all getting better sleep and we’re so happy! Joan’s quick and frequent communication and support was so helpful throughout this process.
Mandi & Mike
Milwaukee
Virtual Consultation
Preschool-Age- 3-years-old
We reached out to Joan on a recommendation from a close friend. Our three year old (will refer to as “they/them”) was experiencing a major sleep regression after starting a new year at preschool and joining the “big kids” class for the first time. Previously, they were a very good sleeper and would sleep through the night 10-12 hours. After school started, they had anxiety about going to sleep in the dark and were delaying bedtime and crying for long periods of time after we put them in the crib because they didn’t want to be away from us. They would also wake up every few hours in the night crying and wake up for good around 5 am in the morning. We reached out to Joan for advice on how to navigate this sleep regression and to help our child get back their sleep confidence/independence. Joan was a great listener and had solid advice for us to help tweak our nighttime routine. By implementing her tactics during our nighttime routine, our child was able to go to bed without crying and stopped delaying bedtime within a few days of starting this process. It’s now been 2 weeks and they are embracing the modified bedtime routine, no longer cry at bedtime or wake up in the middle of the night and are back to their good sleeping regimen. Throughout our experience, I really appreciated how Joan would check in frequently and was flexible about her communications, whether it was a. call, email or text. She also suggested a wrap up call which was nice and a chance for us to reflect on the achievements we made as a family and what else we should look out for as our child grows older. I’m very grateful we met Joan and she really helped our family!
Karen
San Fransisco
Virtual Consultation
Seth- 2-years-old
We had our two year old go through some major sleep regressions. We didn’t know where to turn. Joan from PeaPod Sleep Consultants was caring and thoughtful during our interactions and in developing a sleep plan for our family. The sleep plan worked within a few days and we were all better for it. Couldn’t be happier, great service and work, excellent all around.
Rachel and Rob
Kohler, WI
Virtual Consultation
Sophie- 18-months-old
My husband and I contacted Joan after our daughter had a bad virus and needed us to rock her to sleep all night for months. We were both drained and even though we thought that she would eventually start to improve, she didn’t. We needed some advice and a plan. We implemented Joan ‘s plan and with each passing day it started to work! After a couple of weeks our daughter was starting to go to sleep by herself and stay asleep. Naps were difficult, but after 3 weeks those too started to improve. She is now going to sleep on her own and napping too! We are so glad that we are all getting the sleep we need!!
Janis
Bay View, WI
Virtual Consultation
Sadie- 2-years-old
Joan was a big help during our daughter’s 2 year old sleep regression. We had been tinkering with her bedtime so much trying to eliminate early morning wakings that we had lost consistency in our routine, and Joan really helped us to get back on track. She was also very reassuring in how to address our daughter’s nap strike, confirming that our original sleep training method was still appropriate at this age. Just having an age-appropriate plan in place was so helpful and we were able to get back on track well within the two week period!
Jennifer & Alex
White Plains, NY
Virtual Consultation
Jason – 14-months-old
Our 14-month-old son was still having one wake up per night, and it was difficult breaking him of the habit of a night-time feed. Working with Pea Pod Sleep Consultants gave us guidance and confidence to give us that one last little push to get him sleeping until a reasonable hour each day. Thank you!
Bridget & Charles
West Bend, WI
Virtual Consultation
Ben – 5-months-old
We really struggled getting our son to sleep on his own right from the start. He just liked to be held, and whenever we put him down he woke up and screamed. Even at 5 months, we were celebrating when he would sleep two hours in his bassinet without waking up and crying. No one was getting enough sleep, and we knew we needed to do something. While sleep training was really tough for about 2 days/nights, our son’s sleep improved dramatically after that, and within about 5 days, he began consistently sleeping 11-12 hours per night, waking only once to feed. Since sleep training, he goes down so easily each night with no fussing or protest. Joan was supportive and understanding throughout the process, and kept us on the path to success. She definitely went above and beyond what she promised, and concluded our work together by giving us tips for adjusting the plan as our son gets older. Working with Pea Pod really changed our lives, and we are all much happier!
Julia & Michael
Chicago, IL
Virtual Consultation
Elijah – 4-months-old
As first time parents, Joan was an invaluable resource for us when it came to helping our son sleep. Joan expertly explained the “why” for everything she suggested. She gave us tips and tricks that helped immediately, as well as a framework for improving sleep over the next stage of our child’s development. Joan is knowledgeable, calm, understanding and patient, and she gave us the confidence to implement a great plan. She is the perfect guide for helping baby sleep- I wish we had contacted her sooner!
Rebecca & Leo
New York, NY
Virtual Consultation
Sam – 15-months-old
Our 15 month old son has been just an okay sleeper. We had been rocking/feeding him to sleep and then putting him down asleep since he was a newborn. We had a setback when an ear infection caused him to have to sleep in the recliner with dad. It hurt too much to lay flat, which was totally understandable when he was sick. However, after that he suddenly decided that’s how he wanted to sleep every night. It was rough on everyone and unsafe. We had a Zoom meeting with Joan. She went through his routine, tweaked some things, and then gave us several options of what sleep methods might work for him. Within 3 nights it was a huge difference. We put him down fully awake now, minimal fussing, puts himself to sleep, and he sleeps through the night. About 10-11 hours on average. Everyone is better rested! Couldn’t be happier with the turn out.
Karen & Max
Kenosha, WI
Virtual Consultation
Solomon – 21-months-old
I would highly recommend Pea Pod Sleep Consultants! Joan took her time to educate and guide me through sleep training. I now put my son in his crib awake and he falls asleep on his own with no crying or fussing. I couldn’t be happier with Joan’s support!
Sarah
Appleton, WI
Virtual Consultation
Lou – 10-months-old
I wish we had contacted Joan before! We had a lot of sleep challenges with our son. We ended up being worried and very frustrated. We tried different sleeping techniques from books and other resources but nothing worked out. When we finally started working with Joan, she understood our situation and provided very effective solutions based on the problems we shared with her. Before, our son was sleeping an average of 8-9 hours a night with interruptions, now he sleeps an average of 11-12 hours straight each night. Before, he took cat naps and now he is usually sleeping at least 2 hours a day. We feel so happy with this improvement. Our son is sleeping and he is happier and healthier! He is sleeping and we all are sleeping!…Having a plan adapted to our son was key to us!
Anna & Ryan
Milwaukee, WI
Virtual Consultation
Melanie- 2 1/2 years old
We experienced several weeks of sleep issues with our 2-year-old daughter. We realized that it should not be taking over 2 hours of screaming to get her into bed. Bedtime was filled with lots of anxiety and frustration, for all of us. We finally reached the point where we realized we needed professional advice. We reached out to Pea Pod and Joan quickly responded. We were able to virtually meet with her the very next day.
After listening to our situation, she developed a plan for us to apply so we could gain control of bedtimes. She acknowledged that it was not going to be an easy process, but was very encouraging and gave us the confidence that we could do it. We started to see results within 48 hours of starting the new routine. As we applied the plan, Joan offered suggestions for how to adjust it as our daughter reacted to the new routine. Overall, Joan was very responsive and accessible. She responded to every email we sent within a couple of hours. She followed up with us with a couple phone calls when we needed additional advice.
Bedtimes have become a very smooth process and all of us are sleeping much better at night. We couldn’t be more satisfied!
Jody & Donald
Mequon, WI
Virtual Consultation
Baby Boy, 5 months
Just wanted to give you a shout-out for your work with my daughter and son-in-law. Hiring you was a much better idea (in addition to your expertise!!) as listening to advice from her mother wasn’t working nearly as well!!!! My grandson is doing better with his sleeping – and so are his parents!
Grateful Grandma
Virtual Consultation
Addie- 3 years, 5 months
After a bit of a regression, we re-grouped over the holiday weekend and were consistent with our training. These last two nights, our daughter slept in her bed the entire night! Last night, she slept straight through (as far as we know) and the night before, something amazing happened! We usually keep her door open as she goes to sleep. Once she is asleep, we close the door. So….when we woke up at 7:00 AM, she was still asleep in her bed and the door was open. She had gotten up and opened her door sometime during the night. And, she did not cry or wake us up! She just opened her door and went back to sleep. She’s never done anything like that before! Thank you again.
Alison & Ted
Minneapolis, MN
Virtual Consultation
Landon- 10 months & Lulu- 2 years, 4 months
We went from [having] 2 small children who were difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep to kids who were easy to get down and stayed asleep. It took several days- with a noted difference each day- and support via phone calls and email. We all get our sleep now. It’s fabulous!
Megan & Jason
Sussex, WI
Virtual Consultation
Nathan- 5 months
Nathan will be 7 months next week. He’s doing so well sleeping at night now! He stays in bed without complaining (he sometimes wakes up but puts himself back to sleep) for 10 – 11 hours! We definitely have you to thank for helping us with that!
Marni & Max
Milwaukee, WI
Virtual Consultation
Mira- 2.5 years
Our 2.5 year old would scream hysterically for an undetermined amount of time as soon as we closed the door for bedtime or nap time. It was incredibly stressful and we didn’t know how to resolve it. I had read a bunch of things about what to do, but lacked the guidance about what levers to change when. Working with Joan was great – she helped guide us through changes to make and helped give me the resolve to stick with the change long enough to see it work. Joan stuck with us until things really calmed down. It’s been almost 2 months since our first consultation and things are still going well – I really didn’t believe we would be able to put our child to sleep and there not be a battle…but it happened! Thanks, Joan!
Erica & Ryan
Franklin, WI
Virtual Consultation
Luke- 5 months
Working with Joan was one of the best decisions we’ve made as new parents. When our son was almost 4 months old, he went from almost sleeping through the night to waking every two hours. On top of that, he could only fall asleep while being rocked or nursed and would only nap while being held. No one in the house was getting enough sleep. Joan took the time to really understand the difficulties we were having, what we were currently doing, and what our goals were. She talked us through different approaches to improve our son’s sleep so that we could choose the best one for us. The plan she wrote up for us thought of everything – how to improve his sleep environment, when and how to put him down for sleep, and how to stay motivated. Joan gave us the confidence and support we needed to follow through with the plan, and in a matter of days things were so much better. Our son now wakes only once at night, takes three good naps a day in his crib, and most importantly can fall asleep independently. We’re all sleeping so much better and couldn’t be more pleased.
Anastasha and Jacob
Pleasant Prairie, WI
Virtual Consultation
Natasha- 5 months
After working with Joan, our daughter went from sleeping 2-3 hour increments to sleeping 7-10 hour increments without waking to feed! We were a bit skeptical at first because we thought we could read everything we needed in a book or online but my husband and I found ourselves having specific questions based on our child’s behavior and it was nice to have an expert answer those questions. Joan did a great job understanding what our goals were without forcing us into a routine. She made sure the sleep plan fit with our goals and parenting style. In addition, Joan was attentive without being overbearing. Further, Joan gave us some really great tips for future nap and bedtime schedules. I am so happy we went with PeaPod! I didn’t realize how bad the sleep or lack thereof had become for me until the first night I slept 7 hours in a row! I can’t thank Joan and PeaPod enough!
Alicia
Fox Point, WI
Virtual consultation
Felix, 8 months
Joan is an absolute treasure! When our son was 8 months old, he was no longer sleeping peacefully in our room, so we made the transition to his room. Or so we thought. Every night about 2 hours after he’d go down, he would wake up. Nothing could get him to go back down unless we moved with him to our bed. This wasn’t going to work for us. This went on for a couple of months and nothing we tried worked. Until we spoke with Joan.
After explaining our situation, and learning more about us, Joan made some suggestions that had our son sleeping in his room, through the night in a matter of days. We can’t thank or recommend her enough! She is such a life saver!
Kris and Adam
Glendale, WI
In-home consultation
21-month-old & 4-year-old
It’s been over a year since you first helped us with our daughter and over 6 months since you came in to help with our son. I’d like to report that you were amazing and these last 12 months wouldn’t have been possible without you and the sleep you helped all of us get. No more 5 hour battles, no more wondering where the demons come from that possess our kids during the day when they act out due to being overtired. Aside from travel weekends……night time has been pretty predictable and relatively painless……Honestly, you were the best investment we made last year by far!
Carolyn and Greg
Menomonee Falls, WI
In-home consultation
Felicity – 7 months
Before calling Joan our 7 month old would only nap if rocked in our arms, and had regressed from sleeping through the night to waking up multiple times. Within 2 days of implementing Joan’s suggestions, our daughter was sleeping through the night for 12 hours straight with little to no fussing at bedtime. Naps took a few weeks to sort out, but she now takes two 1-2 hour naps a day in her crib. In addition, we’ve kept the routine going through 3 emerging teeth and a bout of the flu and she slept great through it all. We are so happy we reached out to Joan!
Rebecca and Nick
Menomonee Falls, WI
Virtual consultation
Sloane – 11 months
My daughter was getting up multiple times a night and not able to put herself back to sleep without rocking or a bottle. Joan gave me a written plan that was easy to follow. I was so surprised on how fast it worked. The first night my daughter cried for 15 min and each night got less and less. By night 3 she was sleeping through the night and so was I! Joan was always available to email or talk. She was very invested in making sure the plan was a success. I recommend her to anyone who is looking to sleep train!
Kerri
Kenosha, WI
In-home consultation
Luciana – 14 months
We had an easy time getting our first daughter to sleep through the night, so we thought the second one would be just as easy. But by the time she was 14 months old she was still waking up several times during the night, and it would take us up to 1 1/2 hours to get her back to sleep. I would nurse her, rock her, let her cry. Several nights we ended up sleeping in her room. My husband and I were both exhausted and running on fumes. We tried everything we could think of, until we decided we needed help.
Joan listened to us, and we felt comfortable telling her our struggles. Over the weekend we implemented the plan. Through the whole process Joan was very supportive and positive, even when we thought we would never get a good nights sleep. By the end of the second week our daughter was sleeping from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. and taking 2 naps during the day! Our life completely changed! Having Joan cheer us on when we couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel was really what got us through it all, and now we are all better rested!
Helena and Luis
Menomonee Falls, WI
In-home consultation
Fiona – 2 years–old
Joan taught us that our child was actually capable of sleeping through the night. We did not believe that before. By us being consistent and not “folding,” our 2 year old went from nursing all night and sleeping with us, to sleeping in her own bed for 12 hours each night. She did this by Night 3. We are all well-rested and happy. This has been a game-changer for our lives!
Joan was up-front that this would be a challenge because of the habits we had created for such a long period of time. However, she let us decide how we were going to achieve our goal and we sincerely appreciated both the honesty and customization.
Lisa and Damon
Milwaukee, WI
In-home consultation
Simon – 6-months–old
Prior to working with Joan our six-month-old baby was waking up every 30 minutes during the night and was unable to self soothe. Our baby and everyone in our house was exhausted and cranky. Our decision to work with Joan was, without a doubt, the best decision we could have made. With Joan’s advice and guidance, within a matter of days, Simon was napping three times a day and sleeping through the night in his own crib. Our whole house is now happier and well rested thanks to Joan!
Sarah and Andy
Fox Point, WI
In-home consultation
Olivia – 10-months–old
My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Joan to help transition our 10 month old child from bed sharing at night and napping in a swing during the day to sleeping fully in her crib. We had done a lot of research previously on transitioning a baby to the crib but every time we tried implementing what we read we were unsuccessful and ended up with lots of tears from mom and baby and ultimately ended up back to bed sharing each time. Within a week or so of working with Joan and implementing what she taught us our little one was sleeping soundly in her crib for all naps and 12+ hours at night all with minimal crying. Implementing all of Joan’s knowledge, support and unique techniques which were personalized to our child’s needs made our transition successful. I highly recommend Joan to anyone seeking sleep advice.
Jody and Josh
Cedarburg, WI
In-home consultation
Tess – 17-months-old
Margo – 3-years-old
Prior to working with Pea Pod Sleep Consultants, my husband and I were in a constant state of exhaustion, desperation and were not functioning as healthy adults. It felt as if every one of our senses were under assault coping with the stress of sleep deprivation. Now that we have successfully sleep trained both of our daughters, it feels as if we are housing Sleeping Beauties from 7:30 p.m. on, instead of rabid gremlins who delight in torturing us via sleep interruption!
Katie,
Bayside, WI
Virtual Consultation
Benjamin – 8-months-old
My 8-month-old was not sleeping in his crib. He would nurse all night long, co-sleeping between my husband and me. I wasn’t sleeping soundly, and my baby wasn’t sleeping soundly. We were miserable and exhausted. My pediatrician recommended Joan as a sleep solution. I was hesitant to call because I was convinced I could read Ferber’s book one more time and figure it all out in my own. After a hellish week of trying Ferber out on my own, AGAIN, I was reduced to zero sleep for myself and a screaming, traumatized baby. I decided I needed more help. I called Joan.
Joan’s approach was simple and direct. My questions and concerns were addressed. The plan she created was clear and easy. With only a few tweaks to our bedtime/nighttime routine, my baby was sleeping 80% better in his own crib after one week.
We are still working on improving overall sleep, but the improvement I have seen over the weeks I worked with Joan has given me hope. I am not filled with an anxiety that my baby isn’t developing properly due to a lack of sleep and I am a better wife and mother to my two other children because I’m not exhausted all day.
This was the best investment I’ve made for my child’s health and my mental well-being. I would highly recommend Joan to anyone who is struggling with baby sleep.
Sarah and Jeremy
Cedar Grove, WI
Virtual Consultation
Sofie – 8-months-old
Our little one was struggling to sleep through the night for months, and it just wasn’t healthy for her or for us. Endless nights of broken sleep and I decided to reach out to Joan. And I’m so glad we did. It took a couple of weeks for our girl to adjust to her new schedule but getting her on a consistent schedule and helping her to learn to fall asleep has been a game changer. I will admit it’s not easy (hearing baby cry just isn’t fun) but it was so worth it. Now our little one is consistently napping twice a day and sleeping for 12 hours every night. Sure we still have the occasional wake up but all around we are all getting much better sleep and are thriving from it. Thank you to Joan for your help with Sofie.
Samantha
Marina del Rey, CA
In-home consultation
Max – 15-months–old
We are very grateful and so happy with Joan at Pea Pod Sleep Consultants. Her help was truly life changing. As the parents of three children (7, 5 and 15 months), we didn’t think we needed help. However, we were wrong. Our son was a terrible sleeper. We tried various techniques with no success. Our frustrations were high and we were all exhausted. Finally, I contacted Joan on a Tuesday and by Thursday, we had a plan in place and started right away. It was a life changer and saver for us. Our son is sleeping as a baby should! We put him to bed at 6:30 p.m. and he sleeps till 6:00 a.m. He is happy and has lots of energy. And, we finally get to sleep through the night so we have more patience, energy and we’ve got our evenings back. Our only regret was waiting too long to reach out to Joan.
Kate and Ben
Whitefish Bay, WI
In-home Sleep Consultation
Olivia & Charlie – 9-months-old
We had an extremely positive experience working with Joan. I felt a huge sense of relief from our first point of contact and all the way through the sleep training process.
Having 9-month old twins who share a room, I didn’t know how I could manage to sleep train them. (I also have a two-year-old who needed my attention). Joan helped us achieve a realistic plan for our family. Within a couple days, the twins were sleeping better at night. Within a week, naps were even going better. Before the two weeks were out, the twins were sleeping through the night with very minimal crying and taking two good naps each day. We now enjoy the sleep-time routines, and everyone in our house is sleeping great!
Joan was tremendously helpful throughout the entire process. She laid out clear and easy-to-follow steps and was supportive through every step of the implementation. She was excellent at answering my many questions and provided us detailed and prompt responses each day. Joan has tremendous expertise and provided us with great information and kind reassurance when we needed it. We can’t thank her enough for her services and the positive results!
Paula
Shorewood, WI
In-home Sleep Consultation
Carter – 13-months–old
We enlisted Joan’s help when our son was about 13 months old. From the time we contacted her, she was able to make a home visit a couple days later. She met our son, listened to the struggles we were having, and checked out our son’s sleeping environment.
We were reassured by Joan that we were doing some things right, but she helped us tweak the things we were struggling with yet. We had a clear understanding of what we needed to change and started the night she left. She gave us a customized plan that we were comfortable following through with and that fit our son’s needs. We noticed not only improvement in our son’s sleep, but also improvement in his temperament within the week. Our only regret is that we should have enlisted Joan’s help much sooner.
Lindsey & Matt
West Bend, WI
In-home Sleep Consultation
Roland – 2-years-old
We first called Pea Pod Sleep Consultants because our almost two-year-old had never learned to sleep through the night or to fall asleep without being held close. With a new baby coming and after our son’s behaviors starting to hint at tiredness during the day, we needed to rely on professional advice.
I felt no judgement from Joan throughout the preparation or implementation process. She gave us options to choose a sleep plan that made us most comfortable, and we implemented it at a time that worked for us. This flexibility was important to me as a full-time working mom, who often works evenings and weekends on top of a full work week.
Joan gave us direction we expected (like our son needing a consistent bedtime routine and earlier bedtime), as well as some unexpected tips, like switching his bedroom, moving him BACK into a crib, and curbing climbing with a sleep sack.
After making all the changes, I could not believe how quickly our son adjusted to going to sleep alone and sleeping through the night!
Given our early-morning rise weekday schedule, our son needed to go to sleep MUCH earlier, and with the right bedtime routine, he now consistently falls asleep 1-2 hours earlier than he had been. This gives us time together as a couple that we had not enjoyed since before our son was born. A bonus we never expected! Except when sick, our son never wakes us during the night anymore either. Since implementing the sleep plan, our
son is noticeably happier and more patient during the day, and we have more energy, too.
Darcie and Matt
Whitefish Bay, WI
In-home Sleep Consultation
Mia – 15-months–old
Joan was absolutely wonderful! Our 15-month-old had never slept through the night and was waking up multiple times, sometimes for hours on end. She also woke up very early (4am) and her naps were inconsistent. My husband and I were both exhausted and knew we needed outside guidance.
Joan was very responsive when I emailed her one morning after being utterly exhausted. She came to our house and spent time listening to our issues and then coming up with a plan that we were comfortable with. Joan checked in with us every day and answered question after question.
By the first week we already noticed improvements in our daughter’s sleep. By the second week she made even bigger improvements. Our daughter is now sleeping through the night and is gradually waking up later in the morning. Her naps have become much more consistent too. Thanks to Joan, we now have the tools and confidence to continue to instill healthy sleep habits in our daughter. We are also more confident we can navigate sleep issues in the future with the great foundation we have and not slip back into old habits.
Leslie and Nick
Mequon, WI
Virtual Sleep Consultation
Ryder – 4-months–old
We felt so fortunate to have a healthy, big baby boy. He had colic his first 14 weeks. That was challenging. When our son learned to roll over at about 14 weeks, he had a major sleep regression and was getting up every two hours at night. We kept thinking it would get better but we think he got used to mom coming in every time he cried and feeding him. Two and half weeks later, we were exhausted and desperate for sleep. Ryder was also not getting enough sleep during the night and would only sleep when being held for naps. He hated his crib and only liked sleeping in his rock ‘n play. We were desperate for help!
We contacted Joan. She was a huge help for us. We knew, given how fussy Ryder was that we wanted to use the “cry it out” method. However, we did not know how we were going to do it. My husband and I were completely on the same page but just didn’t know how to execute it. This is where Joan came in. She met with us remotely, provided a detailed plan and gave us the reassurance and confidence we needed to move forward with our plan. It is hard enough hearing your child cry, but when you’re unsure if you are doing things the right way, it is brutal. Joan was thorough, patient, supportive and encouraging. A couple days into sleep training, Ryder was a different baby. We would highly recommend Joan and her services!
Holly & Mike,
Chicago, IL
In-home Sleep Consultation
Claire – 20-months–old
Our experience with Joan was wonderful. It started when our 20-month-old daughter was in a bad place with her sleep. She had climbed out of her crib the day we brought our new baby home from the hospital, so we switched her to the toddler bed thinking that’s what we were supposed to do. We all had gotten no sleep for about 3 months, she had frequent wakings and was waking up extremely early while also taking over an hour to put to sleep. Additionally, we were having behavior issues due to lack of sleep.
Joan came to our home and was so kind in discussing solutions that would work for us. She came up with a custom sleep plan, and within two days Claire was sleeping much better. Within the the week she was sleeping through the night and putting herself back to sleep if she woke up! Joan was so attentive and helpful throughout the process of implementing the sleep plan. We are all so much happier and healthier for it! Our daughter now sleeps 11-12 hours a night consistently with one 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon! I’ve noticed a huge improvement in her behavior. We are grateful for everything Joan has done for our family and I would highly recommend her!
Christine,
Oak Creek, WI
In-person Sleep Consultation
Harper – 4-years-old
Hudson – 2-years-old
From start to finish Joan was outstanding. She helped us gain control at bedtime and follow through with a sleep plan that was perfect for our family dynamic. It worked out great and now we don’t dread bedtime anymore. We also feel more rejuvenated and like better parents! Our son was having horrible behavior and we now see a night and day difference in him. She showed us support and encouragement through this process and we will forever be grateful!
Amanda and Brett,
Saukville, WI
Business and Community Support
Pea Pod Sleep Consultants is such a vital business in our community.
-Mary,
Community Preschool of Whitefish Bay
In-home Sleep Consultation
Macy – Age 19 months
Joan was great to work with throughout this experience. She provided a thorough, easy to follow plan that was tailored to our child’s needs. She was also very prompt to answer any questions we had and gave lots of support and encouragement along the way. I would highly recommend Joan to anyone who is struggling with their child’s sleep issues.
-Sara,
Waukesha, WI
Remote Sleep Consultation
Hannah – Age 15 months
Joan is a wealth of knowledge about sleep! She helps develop a very clear, concrete plan that’s easy to implement to improve sleep while still taking parents’ wishes into account. With her plan, our 15 month old daughter, who was waking 4-5 times each night, was sleeping through the night within a week! She also presented at our local MOM’s group and was very well received – so many helpful tips to improve sleep with little ones! Thanks, Joan!
-Laura
V.P. Mom’s Club of Menomonee Falls/Sussex
In-home Sleep Consultation
Jake – Age 5 months
With my first child sleep came easy. She slept through the night by two months and she just seemed to put herself to sleep with no issue. Jake was a completely different story. He was your typical newborn but around 6 weeks he became colicky. We would spend 3 hours a night holding him up right in front of the t.v. because that was the only thing that would calm him. When we jumped that hurdle, Jake was diagnosed with an ear infection and reflux at his 4 month visit. It was at this time Jake was sleeping less 3 hours at time and did not nap. It progressively got worse and we did two things I thought I would never do, let Jake sleep in a swing or hold him while he slept. We started some really bad sleep habits and while Jake was now sleeping at night, we were not.
We received a letter from Joan given to us by our daycare about receiving help for sleeping issues in children. It was a little blessing. When I contacted Joan and expressed my concerns she was open and listened without judgement. She met us at our home and we talked about what our goals were. My biggest goal was to get Jake out of his swing or our arms and into his crib. She explained the types of training methods. Again, I did something I thought I would never do, the cry it out method. She explained the misconceptions about cry it out and while it did easy my fears somewhat, I was still very anxious.
After taking down all our information, Joan laid out a clear plan of what to do and when. The plan was very specific to Jake and his needs. She explained what to expect when began training and provided lots of tips and encouragement. I was very anxious the nights leading up to our start date but Joan answered every question I had and calmed many of my fears. When we started, the plan went exactly the way it was supposed to. It was very rough the first few days but as it went on it became easier and easier to follow the plan. We were noticing changes in Jake right away. He seemed happier and more rested each morning and he was settling into the routine. By the middle of the first week, Jake exceeded the goal of sleeping in his crib and began sleeping through the night.
It was amazing how far we came by the end of the first week. Everyone was sleeping at night. Naps were still a struggle but that was mostly due to the difficulty with remaining consistent at daycare. Overall, Jake was sleeping better at home.
Joan was so helpful through the whole process. The frequent communication via e-mail and by phone allowed me to have all my questions answered and provided me with the encouragement to keep going. She gave us the confidence to know we were doing the right thing and gave us the gift of sleep.
-Katie,
Whitefish Bay, WI
In-home Sleep Consultation
Elliot – Age 2 1/2
Our two and a half year old son had never slept through the night. He had a difficult time going to sleep, would wake up in the middle of the night and refuse to go back to sleep until we took him into our bed. We tried everything to stop the night wakings and have him return to sleep on his own. We were exhausted. We knew he was not getting sufficient sleep due to his night wakings which caused irritability and tantrums during the day. We had consulted books and internet resources for help but nothing worked…until we met Joan.
Joan came to our home to get to know our family personally before she wrote a sleep plan for us. She was compassionate and positive and gave us the confidence we needed to help our toddler (and us) sleep. Joan helped us understand the cause of our son’s sleep issues and then created a very thorough yet straightforward sleep plan that was narrowly tailored to our family’s situation. She formulated a plan that would work for us and one we were comfortable implementing.
Throughout the plan’s implementation, Joan communicated with us every day to provide support and answer questions we had. Thanks to Joan, in just two weeks, our two and a half year old son is not only going to sleep with ease, but is sleeping through the night! We highly recommend Joan’s services and are so thankful to have been able to work with her!
-Cara,
Mequon, WI
Remote Sleep Consultation
Gideon – Age 3
When my son turned three he suddenly became a sensitive, emotional, belligerent mess. Being my oldest I didn’t know any better and having heard stories from other parents, I figured all three years olds were out-of-control maniacs. I hoped it was a phase that would pass as he got older and focused on getting through each day one at a time.
When I first talked with Joan I knew my son was struggling with staying in bed when we first put him down at night, but I had no idea that many of the things I was doing to try and help the situation were contributing to the problem, nor did I realize that his sleep patterns were contributing to his other issues as well.
Joan was great about educating me in a respectful way and teaching me the skills and strategies I could use to change my child’s behavior and take back control. Within a week my tantrum prone monster child had become once again the sweet, thoughtful, helpful, and cheerful boy he’d been before and bedtimes were no longer a three-hour frustration! I learned about how much control I’d lost, why my son was doing the things he was doing, the amount of sleep he really needs and when the best bedtimes and wake times are, how to modify naps to be more beneficial, and what to do when we start to backslide into old habits. She even introduced me to the concept of a toddler clock, which both of my boys now embrace with enthusiasm, making our mornings a much more pleasant experience than the wake up calls I was getting from them before. I especially appreciated how Joan followed up with us daily and patiently answered my many questions, even reassuring me when I asked many “what if’s” throughout the process.
I’ve already gained a confidence I didn’t know I’d have so now I feel able to avoid and manage any similar behavior from my nearly-two year old – and I talk with anyone who will listen about the transformation my son and our family have experienced because of Joan’s instruction. I highly recommend her services for anyone with questions about their child’s sleep habits or who struggles with sleep issues for a child of any age!
– Sarah,
Greenfield, WI
In-home Sleep Consultation
Emmy – Age 7 months
We really enjoyed our time working with Joan. We sought out sleep consultation when our baby was 7 months old in hopes of developing a more consistent sleep schedule for her (and us!). Joan has a wealth of knowledge and a calming demeanor that put us at ease during the whole process. We had read a few books and knew of different sleep training techniques, but Joan helped us tailor a plan that fit our parenting style. In the two weeks that we worked with Joan, she checked in with us daily and was very supportive throughout. With her help, we were able to develop a sleep routine (naps and bedtime) and a more ideal sleep environment for our baby. After two weeks, our baby learned to sleep through the night, and we learned many important things about infant sleep and being adaptable which has allowed us to maintain good sleep habits when she is teething or sick.
–Mark & Ellen,
Mequon, WI