Aya Aiba: My Days as a Sleep Expert

2021/11/23

They won't sleep even after being held for three hours, they wake up every hour in the middle of the night, and just when I think they've finally fallen asleep and put them down, they start screaming.

This is a part of the parenting experience that I thought of as "hell" at the time. After giving birth to my eldest son in San Francisco in 2012, I suffered from postpartum depression and felt like I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Realizing I couldn't go on like this, I started reading every book on infant sleep I could find from the time he was six months old and studied the subject thoroughly. Then, to my surprise, after starting sleep training when he was 10 months old, he began sleeping through the night on his own in just four days, simply by being placed in his crib! That was the first time I truly felt my son was adorable.

I then began studying for certification in the United States and became the first Japanese infant sleep consultant. At first, I was often told, "It's absolutely impossible in Japan," but with the support of Keio seniors and friends, I published "The Good Sleep Book for Moms and Babies" (Kodansha) in 2018, supervised by Dr. Seiji Nishino, Director of the Stanford University Research Centers and Institutes for Biological Rhythms. In 2020, I published "How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Soundly: A Manga Guide" (Shufunotomo), supervised by Dr. Teruhisa Miike, Professor Emeritus at Kumamoto University and pediatrician.

For the past nine years, after my two sons go to bed, I have spent my days providing sleep advice and giving corporate lectures, addressing everyone's concerns. Most of these corporate lectures have come through introductions from Keio seniors and friends. After the lectures, I receive heartening feedback that more employees are able to excel in their work without suffering from sleep deprivation after their children are born. I would be very happy to hear from any Keio University alumni if there is an opportunity to work together.

There are days during child-rearing when a single day feels endless, but in the context of a long life, the period of raising children is very short. I work every day with the hope that caregivers can enjoy this precious time more and live their own lives more joyfully.

My goal for the future is to help as many people as possible resolve their sleep issues and to pass on that know-how.

I look forward to the day when I can see everyone in Japan again as soon as possible. Please feel free to contact me if you come to New York.

Aya Aiba's Instagram is here