The sleep nanny has over 25 years of hands on experience working with babies and toddlers. Something that no amount of qualifications and only this many years of experience could possibly achieve. Knowledge that she has not been able to be taught in a classroom, but through many years of working with 1000's of different children with difficulties ranging from common sleep issues to asperger and selective eating disorders.  Not theoretical but actual practical scenarios, for clients that include amongst others a many number of GP's & Consultant Paediatricians.

Mel was born in Surrey in the mid 60’s, her mother was a nurse and had been working in paediatrics at Queen Mary’s hospital, Carshalton at the time of her arrival, but soon they moved to the Bath area to be near her grandparents who were farmers.

Mel started her childcare career very early! At around ten years old she was often left to look after a young cousin, he was two years old and very spirited. He was always running off and had a will of iron. It wasn’t long before she had him sussed and could manage his behaviour, keep him interested and make him behave well, without him even realising it.

When Mel was  fourteen she began to baby sit for some children in her village. A family of four with a baby on the way. She taught the older two how to horse ride. At the time she had horses, goats and a very sweet but naughty shetland pony, so little children were always asking if they could play with the goats and brush the pony.

At seventeen Mel was baby sitting lots of other children, most of them had behaviour issues and couldn’t keep babysitters for long. These children never phased her. At eighteen Mel took a job as a nanny, the children by then had already seen of many nannies that same year. Mel managed to stay in that job for two years, longer than anyone else. Mel then began to look for challenging jobs, and found many many more. Either with children who had behaviour issues or parents who could not keep a nanny for more than a few months.

Mel found these challenges rewarding, interesting, fascinating and learned a huge amount about children and families. Mel says "As a nanny you are in a very privileged position, not just as the sole carer for someone’s most precious possession but also as a confidant, friend and extra member of a family" During her years she has worked for many families, everything from working in a stately home,  with foreign royalty, umpteen doctors, farmers, lawyers, consultants and even eccentric aristocrats.

Seventeen years ago Mel started her own nanny and domestic staff employment agency. It was tough at the beginning, as she wanted to help everyone. Sleep Nannies came about because many people needed help in sorting out their child's sleeping pattern or eating habits.

To reinforce all her work experiences, Mel then went on to extensively study diet & nutrition and child psychology, of which she is still constantly researching today, to continue to develop her knowledge and understanding of children and how to help, not only them, but their patents too. Furthermore Mel has a paediatric first aid certificate and a CRB enhanced disclosure.

After she had her own children she felt much more connected with the mums and their children. One of her own daughters was a bad sleeper, so she knows the pain of exhaustion and sleepless nights. Mel also knew how hard it was to hear your own child cry, how you can get into a rut with sleeping issues and how everyone has their own piece of advice to give you

She knows  the stresses that new mums and dads have to through and how you constantly feel judged when things are not running smoothly. Mel has been helping the parents of non- sleepers and fussy eaters for over 12 years now. While many of the same problems and issues arise, every child and family is different, and this approach and philosophy is why Mel has become so successful  in helping and understanding other families needs. By helping them find the right solution for their own specific situation. In her view "one cap does not fit all"