Sleep Coach, Podcaster,
Author & Bedtime Storyteller.
I help women love their sleep
and prioritize rest and self-care so they can wake up every morning ready to live a life that brings them joy!
The people in my life would describe me as “always up for a dance party, but also the first one most likely ready for bed.”
About eight years ago, you would have found me in my dark bedroom, working on a creative project into the wee hours of the morning. I thought I was a night owl getting a few quality work hours, but I was avoiding the inevitable.
When I finally fell into bed, I would spend hours lying there, wide awake, no matter how exhausted. My mind would race with so many things, and as the sun rose, I dragged myself out of bed, longing for my first nap. And then my next nap.
After years of being trapped in a cycle of insomnia, sleep deprivation, and fantasizing about which pieces of furniture at work would make good napping spots, it all changed.
I found an online certification course in sleep coaching, and I took it to improve my sleep, not even thinking of it as a career. After becoming a Certified Sleep Sciences Coach, improving my sleep, and getting rid of my insomnia symptoms, I became passionate about helping others do the same.
“You’re like my sleep fairy godmother!”
I started The Calm & Cozy Podcast in 2018 and discovered I had a knack for hiding behind a microphone, sharing my knowledge and humour with the world from the comfort of my bed. (Ahem… introvert much!?)
I wasn’t winning awards with my podcast content, but I was consistently told how realistic, honest, and helpful my content was. Another compliment I was hearing was that my voice put listeners to sleep, so I started recording meditation-type episodes and bedtime stories to help listeners relax in bed.
In 2019, I received a private message on Instagram asking if I would like to write a book about sleep. I often receive spam messages from companies wanting me to promote their non-sleep-related products, but this message felt different. A conversation was scheduled, and it was legit, thankfully.
A New York publisher offered me a book deal, and The Calm & Cozy Book of Sleep was published in August of 2020. Two years later, The Calm & Cozy Sleep Kit was released.
Having a book published in the middle of lockdown meant the big release party was held in my living room. My partner Jake and our dog, Bo, attended, and we partied hard, as usual, until 9:30 PM.
Today, I help women make sleep a priority without having to dedicate hours of their lives to self-care & evening routines.
Still Here? A Little More About Me…
What is my favourite thing about myself?
My sense of humour, and my eyes.
A career I’ve always wanted:
Standup comedy.
Current passion:
Dance! I dance about ten hours a week and teach weekly dance classes. My favourite styles are East Coast swing and West Coast swing. My mom and I compete (for fun) every few months, and I love getting all glammed up and performing in front of an audience. I also love having a goal to work towards, so it’s less about winning and more about working towards being better every time.
The coolest place I’ve travelled to is Brasov, Romania.
Three of my great-grandparents were born in the Romanian countryside. I was privileged enough to spend several months in my late twenties volunteering as a muralist in a children’s hospital in Brasov. Honourable mention goes to the road trip Jake and I (and his kids) took to Cape Breton years ago.
Where do I come from?
I was born in Burlington, Ontario, into a family of kind, hilarious, and talented people. My dad was born on the Saskatchewan prairies and was a historian and author of twelve books. (He passed away in 2022 of aggressive brain cancer.) My mom was born in the same small Northern Ontario town as Shania Twain and is a fun, creative woman who taught me that I can reinvent myself at any age.
Something I do purely for the fun of it…
I’ve been taking a ukulele lesson every week for over two years. I choose a song, my teacher helps me with the arrangement, and then we jam. It’s thirty minutes of singing and playing music, and I love it.
My happy song: See The Light by Stephen Sanchez.
A few other places you can find me online…
The Toronto Sun featured advice from my book in their recent article, Building Better Bedtime Routines.
Handling Tomorrow’s Big Day As An Insomniac,
my article for insomnia.sleep-disorders.net
Creating the Perfect Sleep Environment,
My contribution to a Global News article.