Meet East Lancashire's sleep doctor (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Meet East Lancashire's sleep doctor

2:18pm Wednesday 25th August 2010 in Hoddlesden

Are tantrums and bad behaviour ruining your family life? It sounds like a case for Supernanny! We meet East Lancashire’s answer to the TV expert — who specialises in keeping your children quiet after bed time.

MOST of us take a good night’s sleep for granted. But if you ask some parents of young children they would happily swap a million-pound lottery win for eight hours of kip.

Cue the North West’s first independent sleep ‘doctor’, Hoddlesden-based retired nurse Jo Tabiner.

Lack of sleep has been linked to problems in behaviour and child development with a third of children not getting enough sleep, according to scientists.

But now Jo, a former health visitor, claims to be able to solve sleep problems for any child within just three weeks — music to many families’ ears.

“Absolutely all sleep-problems can be resolved,” said the 52-year-old, who set up Children Sleep Advice three months ago, after retiring from the NHS.

“When your family is going through it, it can be terrible and you may think it will never end, but that is not the case.

“As long as parents are committed to the sleep plan then all sleep problems can be sorted within two to three weeks.”

Jane and Richard Birtwistle, who live near Rambottom, called on Jo’s help after not having a full night’s sleep for four years since the birth of their eldest child, Joshua.

Jane, 36, also mum to Max, two, and six-month-old Noah said: “From being a baby Joshua never slept for longer than 20 minutes at a time.

“And it got worse when my other children arrived.

“He would throw books, strip the bedding off the bed, swing on the curtains, ask for food, or a drink, say he needed to the toilet or even make himself sick.

“It would take hours to get him to go to bed.”

“It got so bad I even developed alopecia which I am sure was down to the long-term sleep deprivation.”

Jo, who has been studying sleep patterns for 20 years, suggested Jane buy Joshua a teddy, let him name it, and tell him that the teddy was going to hold his hand instead of mummy while he went to sleep. After a few nights of the routine, Joshua went to sleep without his mum by his side for the first time in four years.

Jane added: “I couldn’t believe it. And the next night I really couldn’t believe it when he went to bed on his own again, saying ‘It’s OK mummy, I’m a big boy now.’ “This has changed our lives.

“We never used to get quality time together as a couple in the evenings. I feel like Jo has given us our lives back.”

Jo, who has a son, and two step daughters, visits families in their own home and offers a personalised telephone and email support service for mums and dads who need on-the-spot assistance at bed time.

She added: “I don’t believe in leaving a child to cry for longer than 30 seconds to a minute.

“Parents need to reassure their children, but give them the message that it’s bedtime and there won’t be any cuddles, watching TV or having something to eat.

“There are lots of different sleep methods, but sometimes all it takes is having an outside person to reassure you, support you and make you realise you are doing the right ting.”

l For advice on your child’s sleep contact Jo at jo.tab@virgin.net or visit the website below.