About Me
Hi I’m Chess!
A solo mum in her early thirties to a very energetic toddler.
Before I became a sleep consultant, I spent years working with children in almost every form… my background is in psychology with a focus on early childhood and development. After graduating from my psychology degree and post grad in Primary Education, I went on to manage a children’s sports camp and then qualify as a primary school teacher- the passion I have been following for the past 9 years. It was in teaching where I learned how different every child is- different in how they learn, how they feel safe and what they need to thrive. That understanding shapes everything that I do now.
But the real reason I’m here? My son.
He was a wonderful newborn- easy, content, happy, and slept as well as you could expect any newborn to- I couldn’t complain. So when everyone around me started celebrating their babies finally sleeping through the night or sleeping for longer stretches , I kept waiting for our turn… but it never came.
From birth until he was nearly two years old, my son woke every two to three hours. Every single night, without fail. At his worst, he couldn’t sleep at all unless he was breastfeeding continuously - and of course, as a solo parent, I was the only one there to do it. No partner to hand off to in the morning. No one to take over a shift so I could catch up on a tiny bit of rest. No one to share the exhaustion with. Just me, running on whatever broken fragments of sleep I had managed the night before. It nearly broke me. But I had no choice.
For nearly two whole years, I had never slept longer than three hours in a row. This is when I knew something needed to change. I decided to train as a sleep consultant not only to support other solo parents in similar positions but to also gain an invaluable and deep understanding of infant and toddler sleep that I could support my own son.
And that’s exactly what I did. After studying infant sleep I was able to equip my son with the tools he needed to be able to settle himself back to sleep without support from me. And finally we both started to get some very well deserved and desperately needed sleep.
What I Believe About Sleep
Getting certified as a sleep consultant wasn’t just a career change for me, it was a personal journey to find support for my own child. One important thing that I learnt along the way and something that I carry into every single family I work with is that there is no one right way to do this job.
Every child is different. Every parent is different. Every family has different goals, different values, and different limits — and all of that matters immensely.
I still snuggle my son to sleep sometimes. He still climbs into my bed some nights and I’m happy with that! I love having him close to me still and most importantly, we still both get restful, uninterrupted sleep because if he wakes up he can go back to sleep by himself- a child who can settle and a parent who finally gets to rest. You may have different targets of how you want your little one to sleep and that’s fine! Every parent has different goals and I’m here to work with you to achieve yours. I am also still breastfeeding- a journey I wasn’t willing to compromise when sleep coaching and something I can guide you with too along our journey working together.
When it comes to the coaching methods, I don’t use harsh practices. Ever. And nothing will ever require you to ignore your instincts as a parent. We will work together, gently, at a pace that feels right for you and your little one, and we will find solutions that actually fit your life.
You’ve been doing this alone for long enough. Let me help.
Why just for solo parents?
Most sleep advice and support assumes that there are two of you… two people to trade off the night wakings. Two people to hold the plan together when it’s 3am and everyone is exhausted. Two people to read the same book, watch the same video and agree on the approach. The whole industry is built around two parent family — even when it doesn’t say so out loud.
But you already know that. You’ve felt it every time you’ve read a guide that says “take turns with your partner” or a plan that requires “one parent to stay consistent while the other steps back.” You close the tab. Not because the advice is wrong, but because it simply isn’t written for you or your child’s life.
I built this consultancy because I am you and because I wish I had someone who understood all of the complexities of being a solo parent when I needed it most.
I know what it’s like to be the only one getting up. The only one making the call at midnight. The only one who has to be functional in the morning — no matter what the night looked like. There’s no one to hand off to. There’s no one to back you up when you second-guess yourself at 4am. You carry all of it, alone, and then you get up and do the whole day too.
All of my sleep and support programmes are designed around there being one parent. The strategies I use don’t require a co-parent to execute. The plans I build account for the fact that your energy, your time, and your emotional bandwidth are not split across two people — they’re running entirely through one. Together, we will work around your schedule, your child’s needs, and the reality that there is no backup.
You don’t need a modified version of advice made for someone else. You need something made for you from the start and that’s exactly what this is.
What is a Solo Parent?
To be totally honest, this is a very sensitive question for some people. Many parents in this complex situation would agree that a solo parent is a parent who is the sole carer for their child(ren)- meaning that their child(ren) does not have another parent other than them present in their life.
Becoming a solo parent can happen via numerous different journeys… some women are solo mums by choice, some have experienced their partner unfortunately passing away and some are solo not by choice but by situation. Fathers can also be solo parents for a variety of similar reasons.
Some parents do a lot of the work alone and can feel similar pressures to solo parents- for example if their partner works away a lot or does not help them as much as they would like. Many parents are also separated or divorced and “co-parent” (I use this term very loosely as I know how different this can look for many families). These dynamics can be difficult to navigate, especially when there is a baby or toddler with sleep problems to throw into the mix!
No matter how your solo parenting journey began, I am here to help you as someone who wholeheartedly understands your situation in all of its complexities. I am a sleep consultant for people like me. Someone who understands that you’ll be doing this alone and someone who will be your village to support you through.