Episode 75 - Allison Ezell
Mending Families is hosted by Melissa Pemberton and she brings you weekly content that is a mix of trauma aware interviews, parenting tips for those caring for kids from adversity, and stories from people just like you as they share their beautiful messy moments. Melissa hopes 8that when you listen each week, you will feel encouraged, inspired and take a little something away to help you and your family move from broken to mended.
On today’s episode, Allison shared about her journey into sleep consulting and the services she offers to families dealing with sleep issues. She talks about understanding sleep pressure and sleep onset associations as a crucial part of addressing sleep issues in children. Allison believes trauma-informed approaches are essential, as typical sleep training methods may not be effective for children with trauma backgrounds and she gives us examples of why this is and how we can start making minor adjustments today. If you have a kiddo who struggles with sleep, this episode is for you! Enjoy!
Allison Ezell is a wife and mom to four kids through birth, foster care, and adoption. After years of searching and failing to find trauma-informed sleep advice, she founded Dwell Pediatric Sleep and became a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant in 2021. Since then, she has worked with thousands of families through 1:1 consultations, digital resources, and corporate speaking.
You can find Allison on Instagram, Facebook, and at her website, www.dwellpediatricsleep.com
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Topics Allison mentions:
*PLND - Similar to restless leg syndrome and causes kids to have a hard time sleeping
*TBRI Therapists can be helpful with addressing trauma with our kids
*There’s no formula because each child is different, however, the more you look at the needs behind your own child’s behaviors, the easier it can be to identify what can help your child sleep
*Don’t forget that sleep is a separation!
*Allison gives us some tips on getting to sleep, staying asleep, and early risers
*Sleep associations aren’t good or bad, but we must consider “Is this sustainable?”
*The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis is a great book for every parent to read
*The Filled Retreat is one of Allison’s favorite conferences for foster and adoptive parents
*Make sure your child has a lovey that they can take with them and provide them comfort
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