Those who know me and my journey in business know that I am obsessed with finding services that improve our clients and their families’ quality of life.  It’s been extra exciting to find those kinds of businesses in the Denver area, and sleep coaching company, Sleepably, is no exception.  Seth Davis and his colleagues specialize in helping adults and children find workable sleep habits and improve their quality of life as a result.  Most of our new moms struggle the most with sleep since they have difficulty finding a sleep routine let alone manage and understand sleep issues that come up for their babies.

In this interview with Seth, find out how and why he got into the sleep coaching business, and learn some great tips on how to help your babies sleep better.

Thank you, Seth and Sleepably!

~Mahri

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1) Your name, and where you are from:

My name is Seth Davis and I am from Denver, Colorado.

2) Tell us about your business and what you provide:

My business is called Sleepably, and we provide sleep coaching for adults and children. We work one-on-one with individuals who are dealing with sleep issues, or with parents whose children have sleep challenges. Our goal is to discover the root causes of the sleep problems and create personalized sleep plans to help them or their children (or both) achieve better sleep. 

3) What made you decide to move in this direction as a business? Could you talk a little bit about your journey getting here?

Sleepably arose from a personal need, because I struggled with sleep issues for 15 years or more. For those who have experienced sleep issues, or have had children who don’t sleep well, you’re probably familiar with common effects of sleep deprivation like frustration, fatigue and moodiness. It’s not a fun space to live in and I didn’t want to stay there for much longer, so that led me to take action.

I started researching sleep coaches online and quickly decided that rather than hire one, I wanted to become one, fix my own sleep problems and create a business to help others. 

It was fascinating to dive into learning about sleep. I was able to identify all of the habits I’d been keeping over the years that were fueling my insomnia, which provided several a-ha moments. Since then, I have been much more well-rested and upbeat while continuing to build the business. My wife Rebecca and our friend Sara joined Sleepably as pediatric sleep consultants, so now we’re able to really help people young and old to rest easier and feel better.

4)  You have a pediatric side to your business.  Why did you decide to add that component? Also, do you help pregnant women?

After hearing from client after client that often their own child’s struggle with sleep was the root cause of their own sleep issues, Sleepably began offering pediatric sleep coaching. As parents ourselves we understand the struggle is real and decided we would love to bridge this gap and help out our fellow parents! To date, we have two pediatric RNs who are also certified pediatric sleep consultants. We now can confidently serve all ages from newborn to elderly, and we are really proud of that aspect of our business. 

We love to empower prenatal and postpartum mamas to take their health to the next level by providing wellness resources. We are always looking to expand our circle to help support this population. We love to provide sleep help to not only the moms themselves but to the babies, which inevitably helps moms and dads in the long run! Motherhood is a journey. Nothing happens overnight, and it’s an honor to join forces with new moms and teach them lifelong skills that will allow them to flourish in their new role.

5)  We have lots of moms who need help supporting their children’s sleep habits, especially little ones younger than 2 years old.   Do you have 3 tips that might help moms calm down and help their babies sleep?

Great question! I asked our pediatric sleep consultants (Sara and Rebecca) to weigh in on this question, so here’s what they had to say.

Sometimes it can be as simple as charting a sleep log to monitor how much sleep your little one is really getting. A few easy sleep strategies that we like to recommend to parents are:

1. Appropriate sleep and wake times.Your baby has scientifically recommended wake and sleep windows based on their age. Simply finding the sweet spot of how long to stay awake between sleeps can be the secret to finding that healthy sleep schedule.
2. Dark room. Light can prohibit the release of melatonin, so it’s important to make sure that the nursery is dark. Even light from the hallway, light slipping through the blinds, or a white night-light can be enough to disrupt sleep. We recommend making sure the nursery is so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. If you do use a night-light, make sure it is colored amber or red so it does not inhibit melatonin production.
3. In bed by 7:30 p.m. Well-meaning parents will try to keep their kiddo awake later in the evening to increase the likelihood of them sleeping later into the morning. However, this practice will only lead to more wakeful nights of sleep. Fun fact: After 8 p.m., a hormone called cortisol is released that can inhibit sleep, causing frequent night wakings.

6) We truly believe that fitness does not exist in a vacuum and look for knowledgeable practitioners to refer our clients when they need support in areas other than our own like sleep support. How could we as trainers help YOU do your job better with our clients? How might we work together?

Fitness and sleep really do go hand-in-hand, so there’s a natural connection here. Body Conceptions is already helping its clients on the journey to better sleep by ensuring that they get consistent physical activity. As an adult sleep coach, I often find myself recommending that my clients increase their activity levels to better support their sleep. So by emphasizing fitness and nutrition, Body Conceptions trainers are contributing a key piece of the puzzle. When Body Conceptions refers clients who aren’t sleeping well to us, we can look at the rest of the puzzle pieces to see how to better arrange them for optimal sleep. 

And on the flip side, when we engage with clients who would benefit from exercise, Body Conceptions is a ready-made solution for us to recommend. Our pediatric sleep consultants work with many postpartum moms, and we’ve found that a lot of those moms would benefit mentally and physically from working with Body Conceptions trainers.

7) What do you love the most about your work?

I love guiding adults from being tired and frustrated to understanding their sleep and being able to sleep confidently. Having been where they are, it’s rewarding to finally give them the rest they’ve been missing. During consultations, I provide a lot of education and it’s fun to see clients have some of the same a-ha moments that I did when I was getting my sleep coach certifications.

And on the pediatric side, it’s equally rewarding to see parents’ relief when our pediatric sleep consultants navigate them through their children’s sleep challenges. Many of these parents have been running low on energy, time and patience for months or years, so they almost don’t know what to do with themselves once their kids are sleeping more normally.

8) How can our clients contact you and use your services?

Whether your clients could use help from an adult or pediatric sleep coach, we’re ready to dive in and help. The first step is to schedule a free phone call with us, usually about 15-30 minutes, to tell us more about your situation. If our coaching is a good fit for you, we can begin working together to define and achieve your sleep goals.

Seth Davis
Seth Davis is a Certified Adult Sleep Coach and the founder of Sleepably, a Denver-based team of sleep coaches who help children and adults sleep better. After struggling with insomnia for many years, Seth decided to not only become a certified sleep coach and fix his own sleep problems, but to help others overcome their sleep challenges. He now works one-on-one with clients to explore how their thoughts, behaviors and lifestyles are potentially affecting their sleep, and to create personalized plans for overcoming their sleep issues. Seth enjoys helping adults of all ages and backgrounds achieve healthy, sustainable rest to enhance their everyday lives.