About Sleeping Willow

My name is Samantha Dinser. Stay at home mom, early childhood educator, and certified pediatric sleep consultant. Working with young children and helping families is something that I genuinely love and enjoy, which drove me to a Master's degree in Human Development, specializing in Early Childhood Education. Throughout my career I have worked as a nanny, preschool and PreK teacher, infant and toddler caregiver, center director, private teacher, and tutor. In each of these positions, supporting and educating parents played a significant role in being able to fully care for their children. Sleeping Willow is now a way for me to further extend that parental education and support.

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My first daughter was born in San Diego in 2023, and my eyes opened to a whole new perspective on parental support. Because of how vital support for new parents is, my husband and I decided to move back to our home state of Michigan to be closer to our own families. We drove our family across the country when my daughter was 10 months old, and due to the long trip and huge life transition, her sleep habits and sleep schedule changed. Before the move, she was sleeping in her crib, and waking up once at night for a feed. After she turned 1, she was nursing to sleep, contact napping during the day, and co-sleeping for at least half the night. I personally enjoy the snuggles and closeness, but this wasn't sustainable for us, especially after I found out that I was pregnant again.

I started doing some research, looking for helpful sleep resources, and found the sleep consultant program through IPSP. I was drawn to it because it is based in science and an accredited program. I have always enjoyed learning new things and expanding on my skills and knowledge base, so it felt like a perfect fit for where I was at in life. Not only did the program give my daughter and myself, quality sleep, but it added to my desire to help and support other parents in any way that I feel able.

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I believe in an individualized approach when working with babies and young children. No situation is the same because each child is unique, and getting to know as much as I can about each child and family is important to being able to provide the best support possible. My philosophy as a sleep consultant aligns with my philosophy as an early childhood educator- looking at, and supporting, the child as a whole. Together, we will look at your child's daily schedule, individual needs, as well as the needs of your family. The goal of Sleeping Willow is to help each family find what works best for them. Working with infants and young children is a passion of mine, and I am so excited to now be able to help them and their families achieve better sleep!