Having been lost in the world of baby sleep herself, with nowhere to turn, Jade Zammit has experienced first-hand how challenging sleep can be as a new parent. A qualified Infant & Child Sleep Consultant, and a mum of two children, she understands there is rarely a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to sleep. Specialising in creating bespoke and responsive plans based on a family’s unique dynamics and little ones’ needs, she is passionate about providing support and guidance to transform family life through effective holistic solutions. Here Jade talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Beyond the Stars, the biggest breakthrough for her business, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The Passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
When my son was born, I felt so lost in the world of parenting – let alone the rollercoaster journey that is baby sleep! My husband worked away, so it was just me figuring out all of these comfort techniques. And naturally, the sleep deprivation really started to show. So at first, I took to reading the baby sleep books and that is where I found a fascination in the psychology of sleep. Many of these helped me find my way – he was really time sensitive so it was also in finding a rhythm that worked for him and his sleep cues.
From there, we had some ups and downs – but it was the toddler years that were a big challenge for us with him. He was so easily stimulated but thrived on connection, so it was about finding a settle rhythm that worked for him. That took a while to navigate on my own!
When my daughter graced us, I thought I knew a thing or two when it came to sleep by this point… however, with her severe reflux and completely different sleep needs, I was left in the spiral of sleep deprivation and with no way out. Even when I dusted off the books, I just couldn’t find my way to help her sleep. But of course, these routines and rhythms didn’t work the same – my two kids were so different!! Different personalities, different sleep needs – it made sense that no child is the same when it comes to sleep.
So when my husband suggested we seek a professional to help us with her sleep, I decided I wanted to be that professional. I wanted to make sure no family ever felt unsupported in sleep – it’s one of the toughest parts of parenthood and there was no sleep support accessible. I wanted to change that – so I did! I went on to do extensive study and qualified in Infant & Child Sleep .. and then I set up my business to support and transform other families!
The Launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
While I was studying – I took on four pro-bono families to get me started. I knew instantly I was on the right journey for me and supporting other families. I wanted to create a holistic approach to sleep challenges, as I truly believe every child is different and there are so many reasons for sleep disturbances.
I loved working with these families using my responsive solutions and holistic approach with families on a 1-1 basis – all virtually!
This was also a great way to start in terms of spreading word of mouth – I had a lot of close social media connections and very quickly I was booked out with new clients. Sleep impacts so much of our daily lives, and it can be truly debilitating. As soon as word was out of what I was doing, people needed that support. I knew there was very little support in child sleep locally and this is what I had set out to change.
The Innovation: What has been the big breakthrough for your business?
This year marked a huge milestone in my business. I created a campaign to make sleep support more accessible. I know 1-1 support isn’t for every family, and although it is the most effective type of support, I knew there was more I could do. I didn’t want to create a “one-size-fits-all” online course – because that goes against my whole ethos. I don’t believe there are set approaches that work for every family – I have seen first-hand through the hundreds of families I’ve supported that every child is different, as is every family dynamic.
So as part of my campaign, I created the “Exhausted to Thriving Program”. This is aimed at little ones between six months – two years old and covers a lot of my most common sleep challenges, as well as my S.L.E.E.P Methodology all-in-one online course. The best part is – it is paired with group support calls so that every family has my guidance and expertise throughout to focus entirely on a plan to suit their family and little one!
The spaces are capped every month to ensure the best service from me to these families – and the transformations so far have been incredible from each and every family!
Since launching The Exhausted to Thriving Program in October 2023, the program and my business has won a finalist in The Mum Marketplace Award – making it an award-winning service which was judged solely by baby and healthcare professionals. I’m exceptionally proud of this!
