Parents of newborns quickly learn an important truth in the early days. There is no way to prepare yourself for the impact those sleepless nights will have on your household.
Dr. Omkar Karthikeyan knows this from personal experience as well as professional experience. As a local pediatrician for over fifteen years, he has been helping families learn some of the methods he developed with his own children.
This fall, Dr. Karthikeyan launched Lush Little Lullabies, a sleep consultation service for families.
“Over my first few years in practice, corresponding to when my own kids were little, I realized that I had a knack for getting babies to sleep through the night. I successfully sleep trained my own kids by the time they were 2-6 months of age, and I found that families in my pediatrics practice that followed my recommendations closely were very successful in achieving their sleep goals.”
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Karthikeyan has seen families grasp for any solution, from expensive jiggling bassinets to books and seminars promising solutions. He has found that a more personal approach is needed to address issues.
“The problem is that there’s not a one-size-fits all answer. Every baby is unique, with their own set of familial circumstances,” Karthikeyan said.
A three-part plan for sleep success
Lush Little Lullabies offers the ACS plan, a three part strategy for success.
Step one: appraise
“The first step is to appraise the sleep environment. I want to learn all about the routine, the physical space, any logistical challenges (such as work schedules, loud neighbors, pets, etc.) that may be influencing your baby’s sleep. It’s important for me to understand all the contributing factors so I can design a plan that is tailored to the client’s needs.”
Step two: customize
“After a thorough appraisal of the sleep environment and routine, I’ll develop a customized plan for families, which they can implement right away. This is a written document that they can use as a guidance, taking into account all factors unique to their family and circumstances.”
Step three: secure
“Once we’ve developed our plan, I’ll continue to work with families for several days (usually about 1-2 weeks) to help them implement it, and troubleshoot along the way. I’ll text with them, often during bedtime or first thing in the morning, and/or do follow up calls as needed. We’ll also do a wrap up call at the conclusion of our time together, in order to debrief, and help them prepare for any challenges or contingencies that may come up in the future.”
The pediatrician knows best
Karthikeyan believes that his extensive knowledge of childhood development sets him apart.
“Through my experience as a pediatrician, I have a wealth of knowledge about the interplay between sleep and a child’s physical, social and emotional well-being,” Karthikeyan said. “This gives me a much deeper understanding not only of the factors which contribute to poor sleep, but also of the best practices to troubleshoot these challenges, and the long term benefits of improving sleep quality starting in infancy. This also gives me an unparalleled ability to determine what a realistic goal would be, as well as which babies or families may not be a good candidate for sleep training. I think it would be difficult for anyone who is not a pediatrician to confidently make those determinations.”
Karthikeyan has often wished that he could share these tips with the families in his practice, but concedes that he has been limited by the amount of time that is available over the course of a well-child visit. This is one reason why he finds Lush Little Babies to be such a rewarding experience, as he has seen the impact that his services have on improving a family’s quality of life in just a matter of days.
“I realized how much a baby who sleeps well can set a foundation for a healthy parent-child bond,” he said. “Babies who sleep well are generally happier and healthier from both a physical and socio-emotional standpoint. But it’s just as important to recognize the importance of good sleep on the socio-emotional state of new parents.”
“Spending time with your baby is just a lot more fun if you’ve both had a good night’s sleep,” Karthikeyan said.
