Awakening Through Sleep: A Transformational and Spiritual Guide to Pregnancy, Adult and Child Sleep

Sleep disturbances are common during pregnancy, and they can be risk factors for a number of serious pregnancy-related sleep disorders. 50 to 70 million U.S. adults have sleep or wakefulness disorders. On average, children get less sleep during a 24-hour period than what is recommended by sleep experts. Sleep deprivation costs the US $411 billion annually. While many people who suffer from sleep disturbances seek the support of books, friends, doctors, online or public groups, the root causes of sleep issues are often not being addressed. Instead, rather general questions are asked and general solutions are given by others based on the other's experience, limited training, and particular paradigm, which rarely is holistic in nature. Most questions asked do not come along with important details about lifestyle or health history that need to be factored in before receiving even basic advice or suggestions. There are so many factors that affect sleep. In order to get to the root of the challenge, we must first investigate all the areas influencing sleep from a holistic perspective in order to cover all possible causes. After birth, sleep is usually the next largest challenge for a family. Child sleep challenges are not just a child issue but a family issue. When a child is experiencing sleep challenges, the whole family is affected by it. How we address this as professionals and parents can lead us down a path of ease or frustration. Infant and child sleep carry with them not only so much controversy, but can also cause overwhelm, stress and a loss of family connection. Families who have been sleep-deprived for weeks and sometimes months can experience negative and even traumatic effects despite experiencing a healthy pregnancy. Enter in Mar De Carlo, founder of the International Parenting & Health Institute and Association of Professional Sleep Consultants who has revolutionized the world of pregnancy, adult and child sleep by introducing a holistic approach known as the "Holistic Science of Sleep Method". She became the first in the child sleep consultant industry to develop and launch her Holistic Adult and Child Sleep Certification program in 2012 that trains professionals to begin supporting families with sleep education during pregnancy. Her program and approach have been well-received in 46 countries and are currently represented in 10 languages.