As a Minneapolis newborn and family photographer, I spend a lot of time with moms in the thick of the newborn haze. And if there’s one thing that comes up over and over, it’s sleep. Or the lack of it. The late night googling. The wondering if you’re doing something wrong. The exhaustion that just sits on you like a weighted blanket you can’t take off.
That’s why I started my Made for Minnesota Moms YouTube series. Real conversations with real Minnesota women who support moms through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
Today’s guest is Jen Everett, a certified pediatric sleep consultant at Sleep Wise Consulting. She works one on one with families of babies and toddlers to help everyone in the house actually sleep. She’s also a mom of three who started gentle sleep training out of necessity, back when her husband was working night shifts and she was doing bedtime solo. It worked so well that she did it with every kid after that. Now she helps other families get out of survival mode and into real rest.
We talked about what training a newborn to sleep actually looks like, what age to start, the four month sleep regression, nap transitions, safe sleep setup, and a few myths she wants moms to stop carrying around.
Meet Jen Everett, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant
Jen works with families from the newborn stage through the toddler years, though she tends to focus on infants, since that’s when most parents feel ready to start sleep training for their newborn. She and her husband are newer to Minnesota, and she got into this work out of necessity. Her husband worked nights, which meant she handled bedtime solo, and she needed a plan that actually worked.
It worked so well with her first that she used the same gentle approach with her other two kids without hesitation. Now she runs her own practice helping other Minnesota families do the same, whether they’re newborns, toddlers, or even multiples.
What Gentle Sleep Training Actually Means
Before the Q&A, I want to clear something up, because Jen cleared it up for me first. Sleep training is not the same thing as cry it out. That’s the image most of us have in our heads. Leaving a baby to cry alone for hours until they give up. That is not what Jen does, and it’s not what gentle sleep training is.
Jen’s approach is supportive from start to finish. She’s upfront with families that crying is part of the process (it’s how babies communicate at this age), but the goal is making sure that crying is productive, meaning it moves toward an actual sleep skill, with baby knowing a parent is right there the whole time.
Here’s the piece that stuck with me most: sleep is a learned skill. We tend to assume babies should just know how to sleep through the night, and if they don’t, something’s wrong with us or with them. According to Jen, sleep is something a baby has to be taught and given the chance to practice, the same way they learn to sit up or crawl. That reframe alone takes a lot of the guilt out of it.
Watch the Full Interview
Before I get into the Q&A, I want to give you the option to watch or listen to the whole thing.
If you’d rather hear Jen explain this in her own words (her warmth really comes through, especially when she talks about her own kids), press play below. If you’d rather skim, keep scrolling. I pulled every question from our conversation into the Q&A section.
Q&A with Jen Everett, Pediatric Sleep Consultant
1. What does a pediatric sleep consultant actually do?
Jen works with families from newborns (or even parents who are still pregnant) through age six or seven. With infants, she’s honest that crying is part of the communication at this age, but she and the family work as a team to make sure that crying moves them toward an independent sleep skill, not just leaving baby alone to figure it out.
2. What age can parents actually start gentle sleep training?
Jen says there’s no wrong time to start. What matters more is whether a parent is ready to commit to a plan and follow through consistently. Her favorite age to start is as early as possible, since working with newborns means laying a foundation instead of undoing habits that already exist.
3. What happens when a family reaches out to you?
It starts with a consultation call. Jen wants to know where a family is starting from. A brand new mom about to deliver? Three weeks postpartum with sleep falling apart? Hit the four month regression overnight? From there, she asks what the family’s actual goals are, since they’re not always the same. Most people want a baby sleeping through the night, but some need something more specific, like adjusting to a new time zone for travel.
4. What is the four month sleep regression, and why does it hit so hard?
Around four months, a baby’s sleep cycles change to start reflecting an adult sleep cycle instead of a newborn one. That means light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep, and the need to connect those cycles back together without help. Before four months, sleep is a lot more scattered. After, babies suddenly need the skill of linking cycles on their own, which is why so many families reach out to Jen right around this point. The good news, in her words: all of sleep is solvable.
5. What about the transition from multiple naps down to one?
This tends to happen sooner than most moms expect (often right around a baby’s first birthday, sometimes before). Jen looks at a baby’s entire day, not just naps in isolation, because something going wrong at bedtime can actually trace back to something happening at naptime, or the other way around. Looking at the full schedule helps her find the root cause instead of treating one symptom.
6. Does gentle sleep training work the same way for toddlers?
Jen works with kids up to age six or seven, and that range brings its own thing: anxiety and nervousness around bedtime that wasn’t there before. She loves this age group because giving a kid ownership over their bedtime routine (picking pajamas, feeling in control of the steps) often turns that fear into confidence.
7. What does an ideal sleep setup actually look like?
Jen always starts with safety. For infants: a fitted crib sheet, nothing else in the crib, and a sleep sack or swaddle depending on age. For toddlers in a big kid bed, she checks that furniture is anchored to the wall, since toddlers do not stay in bed all night no matter what we hope. Beyond safety, she looks at two things: noise (a sound machine can block early morning house sounds) and darkness (she recommends blacking out a room until you genuinely cannot see your hand in front of your face, since early summer light can cut a night short). She’s a fan of the Hatch sound machine, which also works as a color-based cue for toddlers who aren’t reading clocks yet.
8. Do you recommend a specific bedtime routine?
Consistency is the piece Jen comes back to again and again. Kids look for external cues that tell them what’s coming next, and a predictable sequence (bath, sleep sack, sound machine) gives them something to hold onto through a tricky transition. When a routine turns into a battle, she suggests building in small choices, like letting a toddler pick their own pajamas or toothpaste, so it feels like part of the process instead of something happening to them.
9. What’s the biggest myth about sleep training you wish moms could unlearn?
That sleep training damages attachment. Jen says it’s actually the opposite. Attachment grows when a baby learns they can trust a parent is there for them, and that trust doesn’t disappear during gentle sleep training, it’s built right into it. She’s had parents tell her their child became more affectionate once everyone in the house was consistently well rested.
10. What should families think about when they’re traveling?
Jen’s go-to trick: pack a roll of tin foil and a roll of painter’s tape. Both go up fast on a hotel or rental window to black out a room and come down without any damage. She also recommends checking ahead whether your rental has a crib or pack and play (crib rentals are more common now than you’d think), and bringing familiar sleep cues from home, like the same sound machine or sleep sack, so baby’s body still recognizes it’s time to sleep somewhere new.
11. Do you work with twins or multiples?
Yes, and she’s clear that having more than one baby doesn’t mean a mom deserves less sleep. Multiples often have different temperaments (one early riser, one night owl), but Jen meets each baby individually while still working toward a schedule that functions for the whole family.
12. What’s a moment from your work that’s stuck with you?
A family where dad had been sleeping in the nursery every night just to keep things functioning, going into work exhausted while mom carried the weight of a baby who wasn’t sleeping through the night. Within the first few nights of working together, that baby was sleeping through the night, and the family kept checking in over their next three weeks together just to make sure it was real. Jen’s takeaway: having someone walk alongside you through the process, instead of white-knuckling it alone, is often what makes the difference.
The Real Life Rescue Kit
At the end of every episode, I ask my guest for three Minnesota specific recommendations that help moms in real life. Here’s what Jen shared.
- Takeout rescue: Mexico del Corazon in Osseo. A locally owned Mexican spot Jen’s family loves, especially the fajitas, with a kids’ menu that actually has generous portions.
- Kid friendly outing worth the effort: Central Park in Maple Grove. There’s a walking loop, a splash pad in the summer, and a refrigerated ice rink in the winter. Kingdom Coffee is within walking distance, so it’s a coffee shop and a park in one trip.
- Local resource for moms: A moms’ group Jen is part of through her church, called Moms at North Church. She said finding that community as a new mom, especially after a move, was a lifeline during a season that felt isolating.
Where to Find Jen Everett
You can connect with Jen a few ways:
- Follow her on Instagram.
- Visit her website, where she also shares more about her family and how they landed in Minnesota.
- Reach out directly to ask about booking a consultation.
A Personal Note from Me About Gentle Sleep Training
I started this series because Minnesota moms deserve real conversations and real resources, not just another generic list from the internet. Whether that’s finally understanding what gentle sleep training actually involves, learning that the four month regression has an actual explanation, or just hearing you’re not the only mom who’s tried the pacifier trick eight times in one night.
If you’re getting ready for a new baby, grab my free Minneapolis Pregnancy Guide. If you’re in the thick of postpartum, my Postpartum Care Kit might help. And if you want more conversations like this one, join my newsletter so you don’t miss the next episode.
Because none of us are meant to figure this out alone, especially not at 2 a.m.
If you’re ready to document this season of your family’s story, I’d love to connect with you.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek advice from your physician, midwife, or other qualified healthcare provider with questions about your child’s sleep, health, or development.
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