Their tagline is “Relief for Exhausted Parents” and that’s about all the marketing strategy a sleepy parent needs to turn their bedtime habits over to Davis Ehrler. The founder of 3 Day Sleep Solution, Davis is an expert on educating parents how a baby’s brain works, how to schedule healthy sleep patterns, and how to bring logic into parenting.
For parents who have tried everything -- from sleep devices to sound machines to all the sleep-inducing gidgets and gadgets on the market -- the 3 Day Sleep Solution program has been a lifesaver for countless of parents over the years.
We caught up with Davis to ask her about the road to a better night’s sleep…
Tell us about your own journey with sleep. How did you learn these sleep tactics? Did you perfect them on your own children?
Yes. I was having issues with my third daughter. By six months I knew I had to change something and quickly learned that I was the one who was “training” her brain to do exactly what she was doing. I was the problem!
I started studying sleep and learned age appropriate bedtimes, sleep times, and what I needed to do to change the habits. In just three days I watched everything change.
I became obsessed with the brain. I wanted to know more. I became a Postpartum Doula and spent 40-60 hours a week with newborns studying every move they made during sleep. I have been studying babies and children’s sleep since then by actually watching their bodies. This has assisted me in honing in on age defined circadian rhythms.
How does healthy sleep patterns play a role in the day as a whole?
Sleep is JOB ONE. When we honor the serotonin / melatonin release times we see the brain getting the correct amount of “food.” Sleep feeds the brain. Food feeds the body. The brain controls the body so healthy sleep helps the rest of the body function better throughout the day. In other words, it eliminates a constant state of stress.
I want the world to know how important sleep is. With healthy sleep from day one a child has the best chance to thrive. I am a firm believer that the habits we deal with for the rest of our lives are created in the brain within the first two years of life. We can educate parents to create healthy sleep and eating habits from the beginning. Sleep deprivation is the root of so much. With healthy sleep we would see less infant / toddler abuse, childhood obesity, ADD, addiction, anxiety, etc. Imagine that beautiful world!
What do you tell a stressed out (and tired) parent who hasn’t yet taken the 3 Day Sleep Solution?
I tell them that help is on the way. I teach them that they did not get a poor sleeper, they simply need to learn the child’s age defined circadian rhythms. Every human is designed to sleep as sure as they are designed to eat.
What has been a surprising fact you’ve learned about sleep?
I’m not sure I’ve learned anything surprising about sleep. I’m often surprised at how little doctors and childcare educators and providers know about sleep. I’m also shocked at the advice given by medical professionals to parents. We have a long way to go on really understanding the importance of sleep… especially infant and child sleep.
There have been many, but is there a particular success story that has stood out to you?
I could tell stories for the next week! The one that comes to mind is a case of six-month-old twins. The parents had gotten caught up in all the trappings. They had used the Snoo. They had used night nurses and doulas. They followed what the doctor had told them and thought they were doing everything by the book. However, at six months these babies were waking up every hour, had “reflux,” and would only nap in someone’s arms.
They were large babies because they were being fed every hour. They had every crutch (pacifiers, eating, rocking, etc.) and weren’t going to bed until 10pm at night (as directed by previous help).
I immediately threw their pacifiers away and got them in bed at the correct time on night one. We did correct meals and meal times the next day, along with correct timing for naps. By night two they were sleeping 12 hours. The parents couldn’t believe it and the babies were noticeably happier. It was a gorgeous transformation!
