Meet Gina
Certified Child Sleep Consultant
My Story
Hi there! My name is Gina Zhong, mother of a little girl named Joye, and a Certified Child Sleep Consultant by Family Sleep Institute.
When I was pregnant, my several friends were joking, “Enjoy yourself for the last few months before she arrives”. I didn’t realize having an uninterrupted sleep is one of the luxury things I could have. At that time, I didn’t pay any attention to the baby sleep at all.
My daughter started to show sleep problems soon after we got home. She started to have difficulty falling asleep, then we started to rock and hold her to sleep. But she woke up immediately after we tried to put her down. Then I started to nurse her to sleep. This worked for several months before it stopped. Her naps were always short and she frequently woke up at night. I was so sleep-deprived and tired, and I tried to search online and talk to other Moms, but I was so overwhelmed and confused of all different information.
When my daughter was 7 months old, I hired a Sleep Consultant after I heard about this profession. That was a game-changer! The support I received was huge and so helpful! My daughter quickly learned to sleep by herself, and she became happier and more energetic than before! We also got our life back! I can finally have a good sleep at night and have more energy to play with her! And I can enjoy some time with my husband after she fall asleep. That was such a huge relieve to us as a first-time parents!
My Philosophy
I was born and grown up in China, where co-sleep and attachment parenting is very popular. The concept of a baby can fall asleep independently might worry and surprise a lot of people, especially the older generation. I want to help more family to realize that having a healthy and quality sleep is so important and beneficial to a child and the whole family. Sleep training can be done scientifically and with no harm to a child. I am passionate to educate, guide and support every family through this journey.
I believe in early bedtime! I believe every child can learn to sleep independently, and we as parents need to have confidence in them. I also believe every child is different, thus I will develop a customized sleep plan based on the child’s temperament and the parents’ comfort level.
My Education
I studied Applied Math at SHUFE University in China and had a Master degree in Statistics from UBC. After graduation, I worked as a data analyst in Canadian banks for a few years before my daughter was born. The arrival of my daughter has changed me dramatically, and I want to work on something meaningful and helpful.
After my research and comparison, I chose to study at Family Sleep Institute to become a certified Child Sleep Consultant, for the following reasons:
- It’s a science based program that requires average 250+ hours to complete (3 times more than other programs);
- Different types of sleep training approaches are introduced, compare with only focusing on one method in other programs;
- Deborah Pedrick, founder, a Child Sleep Consultant pioneer since 1999. She’s also the co-founder of the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants.
- Marc Weissbluth M.D., FSI advisor. He’s a pediatrician since 1973, a leading researcher on sleep and children, and the author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.
After graduation, I founded Little Joy Child Sleep Consulting in 2022 and I was also hired by Maven Clinic as one of their Pediatric Sleep Consulting providers.
Love,
Gina
View My Packages
Different types of packages have been designed to better suit your needs, whether you are expecting or parents of a newborn, a baby, or a toddler.