I’m Saja, Karl’s mom and the founder of DODO Sleep Consulting. I studied Nursing at the American University of Beirut and I’m a Certified Sleep Sense™ Consultant. I am committed to empowering you to find a sleep solution that takes into consideration your child’s personality, your family’s sleep needs, and your daily routines.
My son is the reason I became so passionate about sleep; here’s our story:
Karl was born in October of 2019 and he was such a pleasant baby! When he turned 6 months old, we were in lockdown, he was teething, I started introducing solids, he started to learn how to crawl…all this excitement meant that he started waking up at night. I have to say here that I was blessed by the fact that around the age of 3 months Karl would sleep for 6-8 hour stretches at night. Little did I know that these wakeups are a normal part of dealing with developmental milestones. Instead of enhancing his independent sleep skills, I made him rely on me to put him back to sleep.
The scenario 2 months later was this: wakeups every 2-3 hours, early morning wakeups (as early as 4:30 AM!), and A LOT of crying before naps. He even started to refuse meals, expressed milk, and get tired faster when I was breastfeeding him. He stopped gaining weight! We were both exhausted and sleep deprived. I would fall asleep everywhere; I was in a bad mood most of the time – I was a nervous wreck.
I quickly realized that Karl’s attachment to me is a product of consistent, reliable parenting, loving reassurance, and confidence that I will keep him safe, secure, and protected. Opportunities to assure, comfort, and encourage him will present themselves several times every day, and when I’m well-rested, I’m more patient, more engaged, and better able to provide the love and support that are the true foundation of a secure attachment.
That’s when I decided to implement the Sleep Sense™ method; a decision that transformed our lives.
I couldn’t keep this knowledge to myself, so I got certified and started DODO Sleep Consulting. I have always believed that knowledge is power, and that is why I am committed to sharing with you all the knowledge and techniques that I have learned to help you and your family get the sleep you need.
I believe that we are all doing what we can to give our children the best. We all have different parenting styles and I can promise you that I will do my best to accommodate yours, because you’re the only one who knows what is best for your child.