Peak Sleep
Peak Sleep was founded in the summer of 2021 in response to a clear need for gentle, evidence based sleep support, mainly (but not exclusively) for parents of children with special educational needs or disabilities.
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My main offer is group training for professionals and charities / parent organisations but I have also have a small caseload of private clients, both adults and parents.
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I work alongside a number of experienced specialists, mental health therapists and professionals from various disciplines and can refer you on to their care if appropriate
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Nickie Sutton
Welcome. I'm Nickie and I am the founder of Peak Sleep.
I was a nurse and midwife for 34 years before taking retirement from the NHS in 2018. Much of my career was working together with families and children in various roles and I bring all of my experience and training to my work as a sleep practitioner.
I am a very safe pair of hands! My background means that I know when to refer you on for more specialist help; knowing when to do so is the mark of a safe practitioner. I am honest and professional and will not offer advice outside my area of knowledge.
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I am scrupulous about offering evidence based advice, grounded in science.
Please note that I only offer sleep support for adults and children aged one year and over, in the UK.
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I've worked with families for many years, as a nurse and as a sleep practitioner and I've done *lots* of training in that time; family, parenting and sleep orientated. All of it is useful in my work; as sleep support is often about thinking about the other influences which may be affecting sleep.
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This is not an exhaustive list, but gives you an idea of the breadth of my training and experience:
Sleep Specific:
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The Children's Sleep Charity - Sleep Practitioner Foundation Training
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The Children's Sleep Charity - Sleep Tight / Sleep Success
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Sleep, CBT and Adults
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One of a small team of experienced sleep practitioners delivering sleep support via The Sleep Charity's National Sleep Helpline from September 2021-March 2023
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Contract work helping The Sleep Charity with Sleep Practitioner Training Programme
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TEDx Speaker November 2021: 'Waking Up to Sleep'
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Completion of the Edinburgh Sleep Medicine Course in May 2022
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CBTi trained by Professor Jason Ellis May 2022
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Development and delivery of the Therapeutic Sleep Programme for neurodivergent children and young people for Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (NHS) 2022-2024
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Speaker at CANDDID Conference 2024 'The management of sleep issues in autistic young people'
Nursing, Coaching and Family Work:​
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BSc (Hons) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - my dissertation module was on hydration in children and the effects on behaviour, concentration and attainment. I piloted my project in schools with amazing results!
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ERIC (The Bladder and Bowel Charity) - Three Systems Approach training - I ran children's continence clinics as a school nurse
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Relate - Looking Beyond The Problem: Solution Focussed Training (Motivational Interviewing)
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CEOP ThinkUKnow Internet Safety training
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5 years as a senior school nurse working for a large cluster of primary and high schools. As part of my degree I qualified as a V100 community nurse prescriber.
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SEND / Autism Work
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Barnados Cygnet Parent Group Leader (Autism)
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4 years as an ADHD / Autism specialist nurse in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
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5 years as a group leader, sleep trainer and 1:1 behaviour support for Space4Autism, a large charity in Cheshire.
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Professional / other memberships:
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Member of the British Sleep Society
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Member of the International Paediatric Sleep Association
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Member of the Sleep Charity
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Retired member Royal College of Nursing
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Fully insured with Hiscox
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Registered with the Information Commissioner
Do get in touch and we can talk about the best way I can help.
I'd love to hear from you.
