Helping Families Bring Back Bedtime
Alison Macklin is a Toronto based Child Sleep Consultant, certified by the Family Sleep Institute, which is one of the most extensive professional certification programs available. She studied Psychology and Sociology at the University of Toronto, and took an interest in child development, but her passion for the world of sleep began when she became a mom. Her daughter wasn’t born a naturally great sleeper and became increasingly difficult to put down, which lead to less sleep and more crying. Exhausted and at her wits end, Alison and her husband sought out the help of a knowledgeable sleep consultant and it was a life changing experience. Her daughter went from being chronically overtired, to falling asleep independently in her own room and sleeping through the night. Since then, she has been hooked on learning everything there is to know about pediatric sleep. Her mission is to help as many families as possible through what she knows can be one of the most difficult periods in life, all while feeling comfortable and confident about their child’s wellbeing and future development.
When working together, Alison will help you to establish healthy and safe sleep practices based on science, to get everyone the rest they need. She works closely with you to formulate a customized sleep solution, all while taking into consideration the unique temperament of your child, creating a plan that takes out all the guess work. She’ll be there, step-by-step, to guide and support you through the process and answer all of your sleep questions. She takes the wellbeing of you and your child to heart and will help find a solution that works for everyone.
In her spare time, Alison enjoys travelling with the family, cooking with her daughter, and spending lots of time outdoors.
I can't say enough good things about Alison! I have a 6 year old son but I knew once my daughter turned 5 months, me SO exhausted mentally and physically, there was no way I could do things the same way as when my son was a baby, and still be the mother I am meant to be to Both of my children. I do not have a huge amount of support but Alison was able to be that for me when sleep training my daughter. She has a Huge amount of great resources and information that helped make something I was totally dreading, a lot easier for me mentally. I really like to get that one step deeper into learning things, so learning about the biology of it all, and really observing my daughter over two weeks, I just knew that I was meant to go through this program with her. I understand my babies needs that much more because of her schedule, and it has helped me create such an important foundation with her sleep and development. I cannot thank you enough Alison. It was a pleasure to work with you, but most importantly you gave me the gift of sleep, and I am very greatful. I am able to enjoy my littles, and balance their needs in a healthy way, and not feel like I am just barely getting by in such an important stage of their lives.
Jenn Unrau
Alison was a pleasure to work with - she was patient, knowledgeable, and very understanding and supportive of our situation. We have twin 2.5 year olds and sleep had become a real issue with their developing jealousy and anxiety going to sleep without moms help. She helped us implement strategies that were easy to follow, and she was truly involved and communicative throughout the entire process. Within one week of consistently implementing the tools we saw a huge shift in our kids behaviour and sleep abilities. I can't recommend Alison enough -she is amazing at her job and we are so thankful we connected with her!
Amy Herberman
Working with Alison was a total game changer for our family. Our baby Leila had never slept through the night and her naps were a maximum of 30 mins prior to doing sleep training. She was tired and irritable all of the time . Alison crafted a schedule for Leila that began to work almost immediately to help improve her night sleep, lengthen her naps and get into a routine that felt familiar and comforting for her. We watched as Leila became better and better at putting herself to sleep and back to sleep, she found ways to self soothe in the crib without a pacifier or rocking in our arms and her overall sleep improved. She is happy, energetic and alert during the days now! Alison’s 1:1 support throughout the two week process was invaluable. She was always available to answer questions and took any time needed to walk us through and understand any parts of the process. She even gave us great advice on feedings and diaper leaks. The final consultation with Alison was extremely valuable and set us up for next steps with transitioning naps and working with travel. Throughout the entire process Alison was knowledgeable, supportive and encouraging. We cannot thank her enough for helping us get on the right track with a routine and fostering a great little sleeper in Leila. We highly recommend working with Alison!
Laura Politi
Alison was incredible to work with! Our 3.5 year old son had never in his whole life fallen asleep on his own and had never slept through the night - Alison helped change all that in an amazingly short amount of time! Following Alison's sage advice and techniques that fit with our parenting style, we were able to help our son learn to fall asleep in his own bed and stay asleep the whole night. My husband and I now have time to spend together in the evenings, and, most importantly, our son is well rested, happy, and VERY proud of himself! Thank you so much Alison!
Rebecca Toda Worden
I can't say enough good things about Alison! I have a 6 year old son but I knew once my daughter turned 5 months, me SO exhausted mentally and physically, there was no way I could do things the same way as when my son was a baby, and still be the mother I am meant to be to Both of my children. I do not have a huge amount of support but Alison was able to be that for me when sleep training my daughter. She has a Huge amount of great resources and information that helped make something I was totally dreading, a lot easier for me mentally. I really like to get that one step deeper into learning things, so learning about the biology of it all, and really observing my daughter over two weeks, I just knew that I was meant to go through this program with her. I understand my babies needs that much more because of her schedule, and it has helped me create such an important foundation with her sleep and development. I cannot thank you enough Alison. It was a pleasure to work with you, but most importantly you gave me the gift of sleep, and I am very greatful. I am able to enjoy my littles, and balance their needs in a healthy way, and not feel like I am just barely getting by in such an important stage of their lives.
Jenn Unrau
Alison was a pleasure to work with - she was patient, knowledgeable, and very understanding and supportive of our situation. We have twin 2.5 year olds and sleep had become a real issue with their developing jealousy and anxiety going to sleep without moms help. She helped us implement strategies that were easy to follow, and she was truly involved and communicative throughout the entire process. Within one week of consistently implementing the tools we saw a huge shift in our kids behaviour and sleep abilities. I can't recommend Alison enough -she is amazing at her job and we are so thankful we connected with her!
Amy Herberman
