Why I Became a Sleep Therapist
I have spent my entire professional life supporting adults & children; first-time parents who’d just welcomed a sick baby into the world, parents whose beloved child had become chronically ill, and parents who were faced with the unimaginable decisions that we, as parents, hope we’ll never face.
I loved my job as Medical Social Worker in one of Ireland’s leading children’s hospitals. Being with these parents at the ultimate crisis point in their lives, and supporting them practically, emotionally, socially and psychologically, and then witnessing their resilience and growth, was a privileged lesson in the remarkable strength of human beings.
Finding my own way through sleep deprivation
When I was pregnant, I experienced months of insomnia, sometimes awake for four hours at a time, adjusting to a new normal of chronic tiredness. Then I became a mum—not to a sick child, but to a very, very wakeful one—and quickly became a sleep-deprived parent.
It was Covid, I was breastfeeding, the world was shut down and day after day I would get up to start the day having never really gone to bed. And it went on like this for months.
Instagram didn’t help. Nor did Google or Chat GPT.
And knowing everything I had learned and trained in about perinatal mental health and how infant mental health is the bedrock for so much life long health, I knew I could go down the “cry it out” road, but I also knew I couldn’t continue like this.
I was now a parent who needed support and so I started out on my own journey to wellness, for me, and my baby (thanks to a caring mum I met in the dentist waiting room).
Finding My Way Back to Sleep
I didn’t hire a sleep coach – I became my own one. After years of university education and continual professional development, I was a big believer in learning and I undertook training in paediatric gentle sleep with Kim West, applied everything I learnt in my home.
When I became a mum for the second time – there was less sleep deprivation (and I was breastfeeding). I knew how to start out on the right foot.
It was a win-win for the entire household and a very different post-partum experience.
The result was more sleep, a more attuned relationship with my children and more energy and vitality during the daylight hours.
It became clear to me that this kind of support shouldn’t stop at babies and toddlers — children, men and women all deserve a service that actually works, grounded in science and proven methods. And so Sleepease was born.
Helping Parents and Adults Sleep Again
After working with so many mums in their early parenting years, who now were entering perimenopause, I realised that sleep affects more than just parents and decided to expand my learning to undertake training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia with sleep expert, Professor Jason Ellis.
I have helped hundreds of women, men, babies and children get more sleep in a sensitive, responsive and respectful way, using sleep science and evidence-based approaches that work.
I realised that in the world of sleep, which is mostly your middle-of-the-night Instagram scroll, there is a lot of information, misinformation, and aspiration.
And very, very little to no support.
I just saw these wonderful people doing their absolute best trying to hold down jobs, pay bills, mind their families and live their lives and I knew support was the missing piece.
And also it was support delivered in a different way than in a square infographic on Instagram. I’ve done library talks, mum talks, radio interviews, held circles of support, ran online masterclasses, group sleep coaching, community support and set up a voice note service (because what mum isn’t living for her best friend’s voice note of sustenance every morning).
And if you still want to know more, because qualifications really matter, you can check out my full CV and list of trainings below.
Kayleigh’s CV
Qualifications & Training
Kayleigh Povey is a Sleep Therapist and certified CBT-I Practitioner, having trained under sleep expert Prof. Jason Ellis and child sleep specialist Kim West. She is a CORU-registered Social Worker with a Masters in Social Science, Social Work (UCD), and holds a Professional Certificate in Children & Loss, Level 9 (RCSI / Irish Hospice Foundation). She has also completed specialist training in Attachment, Trauma, and Bereavement, attending in-person workshops with renowned experts including Dr Bruce Perry, Dr David Tricky, Dr Patricia M. Crittenden, and Dr Susan Delaney.
Professional Experience
Kayleigh has worked in Paediatric Medical Social Work since 2013, including leadership roles as Head Medical Social Worker at CHI Temple Street, where she managed a busy social work team, oversaw service development, and handled complex cases.
She has extensive clinical experience supporting parents and children affected by:
- New diagnoses, postpartum depression and anxiety
- Parent mental health challenges and addiction
- Domestic abuse and trauma (birth trauma, childhood injury, safeguarding)
- Grief and loss (end of life care, bereavement, and sibling support)
Continued Professional Development & Affiliations
Kayleigh is committed to ongoing learning and has completed further specialist training in:
- Menopause and Sleep
- Teen Sleep
- Autism and Sleep
- Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and Sleep
She is a CORU-registered Social Worker and a member of:
- The International Association of Child Sleep Consultants
- The Sleep Charity
- The British Sleep Association
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