Success Stories

The Sleep Sense™ Method, created by Dana Obleman in 2003, has already helped thousands of parents just like you teach their children healthy sleep habits. It was my strong belief in Dana’s system that inspired me to become a professional sleep consultant, and I look forward to helping you and your family achieve the same results that my recent clients have been enjoying. Here are some letters from them:

Meghan (New York)

I contacted Tonja when our fraternal twin girls were almost six months old. At the time, they were only waking up 1-2x per night to breastfeed, which I was okay with, but naps were a challenge. Because I was also sleep deprived & exhausted, I was struggling dealing with so many variables at once when trying to figure out naps – two very different babies at the same age/stage, adjusted vs actual age (they were born at 36 weeks), confusion on awake time lengths, waking each other up during naps, keeping them on the same or very similar schedule, etc – it felt impossible to take all of this into consideration to create a routine that would work for us.

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At this time, we had the girls sleeping & napping (attempting to nap) in their own cribs in a shared nursery, and the only “sleep association” was nursing before bedtime. During our phone consultation, Tonja was so friendly, encouraging, and informative. I felt more at ease beginning the daunting task of sleep training twins, and we were thankful to have Tonja as a teammate. I was also excited that the girls’ pediatrician recommended Tonja and said that her approach was founded in research. Tonja sent us a customized sleep plan/approach and had us keep logs of the girls’ sleep so she could analyze and adjust the plan as needed. Within only a few days of sleep training, both girls were sleeping through the night and doing so well with that transition! Once they were sleeping through the night, we were able to tackle naps. It took a while to figure out the girls’ ideal awake times & nap times, but Tonja was faithfully there every step of the way and was in constant communication with us about their progress, obstacles, and any questions we had (and I had a LOT of questions!). I initially wanted to keep the girls in the same room for naps, but after attempts of trial & error, we ended up separating them for naps based on Tonja’s suggestion. That was a game-changer and truly helped our nap situation and did not affect them sharing a room overnight. We did extend our time working with Tonja to fine-tune an ideal nap plan, and it was well worth it to have her advice and guidance for a while longer. By the end of our time working together, we were able to get both girls sleeping through the night in their nursery, and taking two naps per day at consistent times in separate rooms. Tonja has provided me with the skills and confidence to move forward as my twins’ needs change as they grow, and her tips & resources are reliable to reference if needed. Sleep training is overwhelming, but with Tonja’s expert assistance, it has been a wonderful *investment* to our family. Singleton and twin mamas alike – Tonja is a valuable asset to help give your baby(ies) the gift of SLEEP! Thank you so much for helping our family!

Clare (Alabama)

One week ago today I was nursing this little boy to sleep at every nap and waking up 3-5 times night. Not that I don’t love his snuggles and loving Mommy needed a break. 😫  After talking with my pediatrician, getting advice from friends, and thinking what I had already been through with my other two … I knew what I needed to do… I also knew it wasn’t going to be easy.😔  So I recruited some help!

Thank you so much @tonjabsleepconsulting for helping TJ and myself work out a plan for our sweet boy 💙! ! In one week TJ went from napping only on mommy or in the car to taking at least 3 naps in his crib each day. He went from these crazy night wake-ups to sleeping about 11 hours and only waking to nurse once. 💤  I know this will not be the end of our sleep journey but that goodness for progress! Life in our house definitely has started to settle down now that we are getting some much-needed sleep! 🙌🏼”

Carmen (Romania)

When I contacted Tonja, I was already desperate. It wasn’t the first time I sought help from sleep consultants, but the first time that the plan actually worked. My 3.5-month-old daughter was falling asleep only if I breastfed her and she was only sleeping in my arms. In less than 2 weeks, Tonja helped us (me more than my daughter) reach our goals. Now Luna is falling asleep and sleeping in her crib. Tonja’s dedication and support are more than anyone could expect. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Mari (Alabama)

Our 8mo was still waking up to nurse multiple times at night and we were exhausted when we decided to seek help and found Tonja. It was literally a life-changing experience. She helped us teach our baby how to self-soothe and go to sleep by himself without any props. And she helped us to stick to the plan, to be consistent, and to trust our baby. He’s now sleeping through the night, drinking more milk during the day, and making progress with naps. Overall his sleep schedule is much more predictable and consistent…and we all sleep better and are happier!! We’d recommend Tonja to all the new and old parents, she’s professional and really knows what she’s doing. It’s the best investment for your family!! Thank you, Tonja!

Latieya (North Carolina)

I just wanted to say thank you for the sleep tips!!! It’s been 1 week and my 15-month-old is FINALLY sleeping in her crib. My husband and I were recommended on IG by a friend & you’ve changed our lives for the better because we can actually get a full night’s sleep!! I wish I could hug you through this email for the blessedly rest my family’s now experiencing. You’re like a fairy sleep godmother we desperately needed.

Amanda, Steve, and Madison (Idaho)

Tonja is incredibly knowledgeable, understanding, and very generous with her time. She was recommended to us by a friend and we are so thankful. Looking back at our experience we only wish we started this journey sooner. Prior, we read sleep training books on our own but our daughter started waking up during the night around 6 months; we realized we needed more help than any book could offer.

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It was extremely helpful to have her to talk and email us through the process. She is an expert in her field and knows this technique like the back of her hand. Her method really does work and our daughter has been sleeping 12 hours a night with 1.5 hr naps. We couldn’t ask for better results. Thank you so much, Tonja!

Melva (New York)

I definitely recommend Tonja B’s Sleep Consulting. My 9-month-old was sleeping terribly waking up around 8+ times and depended on me all night for him to go back to sleep. He would be up every 2 hours or less and needed to be rocked, fed or his soother given to him.  It’s tough the first few nights but totally worth it. Ms. Tonja gave me all the tools and support I needed to teach my son to fall asleep on his own. My son now sleeps 11+ hours every night with two good naps during the day!!!! The improvement is amazing!

Laura O. (Connecticut)

We are so happy we worked with Tonja to get our son to sleep better.  Tonja responded to my emails very quickly and never rushed our phone calls when I needed support.  The training was not an easy process but was necessary – prior to training our 6 mo old he was being nursed to sleep for every nap and at bedtime and would only nap for 20-30 mins and would wake up at night anywhere from 3-6 times.  Since the training, he now takes longer naps, is able to soothe himself to sleep in his crib (yay!), and only wakes once at night to eat.  Tonja was professional, informative, and supportive and we’re grateful we decided to work with her and are happy with the progress our son has made!

Courtney B. (New York)

We met Tonja last Friday. I was so exhausted I could barely function. We’ve been trying for a week to transition our daughter from co-sleeping to her own room and crib. After countless sleepless nights, we started to follow Tonja’s schedule Friday night and by night 3 there was such an improvement. My almost 7-month-old daughter is now sleeping through the night!!!! It is difficult in the beginning, but if you stick with it, I promise it will all work out, it just may take some time.

Nicole B. (New York)

Tonja is a lifesaver. Honestly, I was terrified of starting sleep training but felt comfortable right from the start with Tonja. She helped us so much, especially on night one. We are grateful for her help!

Jalisa W. (New York)

I want to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Tonja B for all her help in getting my 13-month-old to sleep through the night. I was tired, frustrated, a co-sleeper and I honestly felt as if I had gone through every avenue possible to get him to sleep. He would wake up every three hours and I would rush in there to get him. Tonja B has great advice, techniques, tools, and patience to help me get my love to sleep. Thank you Tonja B, you are worth every penny.

Katie D. (Alaska)

Jade has never been a good sleeper. We feel like we tried everything!!!! My good friend suggested a sleep coach and gave me Tonja’s information. I am SO glad we contacted her!!! Her sleep plan was gentle and slow-paced. Jade fell right into the schedule Tonja made for her and within 3 nights was putting herself to sleep AND sleeping all night long!!!!
Tonja completely changed our lives. Jade is more active, eats better, and is a happier little girl!!!!

Alta E. (New York)

We’re first-time parents and to a late-term preemie, so figuring out how to get our guy to sleep let alone sleep in his crib was a struggle. When we contacted Tonja, our guy was 6 months, co-sleeping with us and nursing through the night. In the months leading up we had attempted every night to put him to sleep in his crib which ultimately resulted in him back in bed with us at some point. No one was getting much sleep and we were all exhausted, mentally and physically. Naps during the day were not much better, our little guy would only take one 30 minute nap the whole day!

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We had finally had enough and reached out to Tonja for help. The first four nights were a little rough, but by night five he was sleeping through the night! To say we are impressed is an understatement! Naps took about five and a half weeks for our guy to grasp, but that was to be expected considering he started with little to no napping. Hiring Tonja to help us teach our son to sleep has been one of the best decisions we have made since becoming parents! We cannot even imagine being where we were at months ago, all sleep-deprived and trying to make it through each day with so much exhaustion.

Now at eight months old he has a great routine and sleeps like a champ! He’ll sleep anywhere from 10 to 12 hours a night with two naps during the day. The first nap is about an hour and a half to two hours and the second is about an hour to an hour and a half! Looking back there is no way I would ever believe this is our schedule since he would never sleep and we credit Tonja with this success! Thank you!

Charlotte C. (New York)

When we first talked to Tonja it seemed like half of our lives consisted of trying to get our 23-month-old daughter to sleep. We have three very young children, but our middle one (nicknamed “the Princess”) seemed to want to be treated like an only child, demanding (and getting) hours of attention while we tried and failed to get her to sleep. Our daughter wouldn’t sleep without being held, and would wake up and become inconsolable if we dared to leave her alone. Sometimes she’d even wake up when a hapless adult snuck out to use the bathroom. When she was FINALLY asleep (usually in our bed, usually past 10pm), she’d twist and turn enough to wake up any other occupant. Considering that this little girl also has a twin brother, plus a five-month-old baby sister who ALSO didn’t sleep well and was cranky and needy during the day, the situation became unbearable for all of us.

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I really didn’t think Tonja could help. No offense to Tonja, but our little princess is SO stubborn that I thought she’d be the kid who finally broke the sleep consultancy business for good, and that once they’d dealt with her all the sleep consultants in the world would choose to pursue other careers. We only went in because we were desperate. And I’m happy to say I was wrong! Within a week of starting the program, our older daughter was sleeping for almost twelve hours every night and napping for two or three hours during the day. Not only that, but there was no more fighting. None. Our princess actually became HAPPY to go to bed, and several times has actually asked to go to bed early! She snuggles down in her crib with her toy and goes down without a fuss, and actually sleeps longer now than her twin brother, who we always considered a good sleeper!

We were so impressed with Tonja that we also hired her to do a sleep plan for our younger daughter. Because this baby was only five months old and still nursing, I didn’t have high hopes for her, but she is now sleeping and napping well, and most of her daytime crankiness and excessive clinginess (which I now realize was caused by tiredness) has gone away. I can now spend time with my spouse, study, and work in the evening after the kids are in bed. It is like having an entirely new life!

Susan D. (Kansas)

My 9-month-old daughter had probably slept through the night twice in her life so I was pretty sure that she was beyond any kind of sleep training. I honestly wasn’t sure this program would work for her, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to let her cry it out, but a friend set up a phone call with Tonja and she was sure she could help. And she was absolutely right!!

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My daughter takes two great naps a day and sleeps for 11-12 hours straight at night!! This has literally changed our lives for the better! I’m not short-fused with my husband and 2 years old all the time and I don’t need 4 cups of coffee a day just to survive! My daughter is happy and rested and comfortable putting herself to sleep!

I would definitely recommend working with Tonja if your child has a sleep problem. She was very attentive to my questions or concerns and made sure we kept with the program. She was always reachable and I felt like she was really supporting me the whole way. She was just as concerned with my daughter sleeping (and all of us) as I was!

LaCheryl R. (Texas)

I’m not going to lie to you. I was a TOTAL skeptic. However, I was also just as desperate as I was skeptical so I figured given this lady a call couldn’t possibly hurt any more than the agony I had endured for weeks on end with my two small children. After being a stay home mom that was trying to transition back into work I had a major issue with my kids, they wouldn’t go to sleep!

Okay so maybe that was a bit of a stretch but not by much. We have a 1-year-old and a two-year old (yeah not sure why we were in such a rush but don’t judge).  To be honest I prided myself on being the sleep “specialist” of my online mommy group via Facebook (La Mocha Mommy) and I gave out my personal tips on putting babies to sleep for the night. However, my two cents just wasn’t hitting no ‘mo like Whitney albums in the 2000s. You know it just wasn’t the same (rest in peace Whitney, with all due respect).

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By this time my two-year-old was at the beginning stages of potty training and thought he needed to climb into bed with mommy and daddy for moral support instead of going to the bathroom. My one-year-old was still waking up a few times a night for a bottle and a sneaky way to steal cuddle time with mommy.

While both of these gestures were “thoughtful” to say the least it was absolutely draining! Walking the two-year-old back down the hall from our bed to his, only to wake up in between the hours to fix the 1-year-old a bottle who truly never even finished the bottles. He would barely take a few sips and go back to bed until the next time he wanted TLC.

Then came Tonja! She was a new addition to our group and was talking about this crazy idea of getting your child to sleep 12 hours a night. I was like psssssh, yeah right! Wait..really?

She ended up doing a free webstream in the group and gave a lot of great tips. Then I was like nah? This won’t work for me, my boys are rough around the edges. Then came the night when I got exactly 2 hours of sleep and had to be up by 5 am. I finally stopped treating Tonja’s sleeping consulting offer like that free 5-day gym membership flyer you get in the mail and gave her a call.

MY ENTIRE LIFE CHANGED! I could just kick myself for all the days that I overlooked it. Tonja B. Sleep consulting program was able to design a sleep program that worked well for my schedule and allowed me to get some much-needed rest and relaxation.

Tonja got my 2-year-old sleeping solely and soundly alone in his own bed EVERY NIGHT with no interruptions. He has done well with his potty training so he wakes up to tinkle and climbs right back into his own bed! Not to mention that my 1-year-old was only “prompt dependent” (a term I learned from Tonja) and didn’t really need a bottle at all! Yep, she got my baby off the bottle! (I wonder if she could help an uncle of my with that same problem.).

Nevertheless, this was a service well worth it! If you have ever consulted with a doula for birth or a breastfeeding specialist to help with those small yet urgent kinky’s in the early stages of motherhood, I would definitely add a sleep consultant to the list because the benefits are something money just can’t buy so don’t sleep on the idea of getting a professional to help you get baby to slee
p. It’s one of the BEST decisions I have ever made as a mother!

Ashley C. (New York)

I have an 18-month-old daughter, and to say her sleep habits have been sporadic since day one is an understatement!

She was a typical newborn, waking every couple of hours for the first few months, then all of a sudden at around 4 months she made it through a few nights without any wakeups at all.  I was over here thinking “Wow, look at us! A 4-month-old sleeping through the night! How lucky are we?”

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Well, I found out shortly afterward those restful nights were to become fewer and further between as she started teething and getting ear infections.  Getting her to bed was a challenge. She wanted to be held and rocked constantly, and the moment I put her in the crib she woke up screaming.  I repeated the process several times during the night, sometimes for hours at a time – holding and rocking her, giving her a bottle, and was only able to leave her in her crib after she had reached a deep, deep sleep.  Her lack of sleep at night caused her to be groggy and moody, and she constantly napped at random times during the day.

We tried letting her cry, that didn’t work. We brought her into bed with us a few times – definitely a mistake.  I reached a point where I felt completely helpless. I had never been so exhausted and it was really starting to affect my mood and my concentration at work.  Her father and I began taking shifts – he stayed up with her until she fell asleep, usually around 10 PM, and I went to bed around 8 PM to catch up on sleep before taking the night shift.

This went on for months until we began sleep training.

Tonja has been a huge support to us through this process.  A few words to describe her are professional, knowledgeable, and relatable.  I had complete confidence that her methods would work for us so I committed wholeheartedly and together we’ve succeeded!  Our daughter now goes to bed at the same time every night, sleeps through the night, and wakes up happy every morning.  I’ve seen so many positive changes in her since the training, and I know it’s because she is getting the sleep she needs – and FINALLY so are we!

It’s 7:00 PM and baby is in bed – feels great! CHEERS!

Thanks Tonja!!!

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