How I Work — Integrative Sleep Support and the ABCs of SLEEP

Sleep isn’t shaped by just one thing. It is shaped by biology, psychology, nutrition, environment, sensory needs, gut health, nervous system regulation, and more. That is why a single-focus approach rarely produces lasting change.

My approach is called Integrative Sleep Support, and it is built around the ABCs of SLEEP — a framework I created to ensure every relevant factor is considered, not just the obvious ones. It is holistic, evidence-informed, and looks at the underlying causes of your sleep difficulties rather than applying a one-size-fits-all solution.

What makes Integrative Sleep Support different?

• Root-cause focused. I look for what is actually driving the sleep difficulty — whether that is a dysregulated nervous system, a gut-brain connection issue, circadian rhythm disruption, emotional hyperarousal, hormonal factors, or something else entirely.
• Tailored to you. There are no one-size-fits-all routines here. Your plan is built around your specific biology, circumstances, and goals — whether you are an adult with sleep-onset insomnia or a parent navigating a six-month-old’s wakeful nights.
• Biopsychosocial in practice. I draw from naturopathy, sleep science, psychology, neuroscience, and nutrition to address the physical, psychological, and social factors that shape your sleep.
• Gentle and attachment-safe for little ones. For infants and children, there is no cry-it-out and no controlled crying in my practice. I use cued care — a responsive approach grounded in understanding your child’s needs, supporting healthy attachment, and working with developmentally appropriate sleep patterns.

Gradual, sustainable change to help you sleep deeply and live fully.

A – Age appropriate

Integrative Sleep Support is age appropriate to address the changing sleep needs across the lifespan.

B – Be Safe

Sleep advice is aligned with the latest sleep safe research.

C – Common Challenges

Common sleep challenges, where experienced, are addressed in the integrative sleep therapy.

S – Sleep Science

The foundation of all support addresses the biology of sleep.

S – Sensory

Integrative Sleep Support identifies and addresses how sensory impacts sleep.

We all have different sensory needs which can impact sleep. Some people, for example, need deep pressure to ease them into sleep, others specific noise, while others require no noise. In Integrative Sleep Support we’ll explore if any sensory preferences are impacting on your quality of sleep.

L – Lifestyle & Environment

Our environment and lifestyle habits affect sleep. Without healthy balanced habits quality sleep will be a challenge.

In integrative sleep therapy you will learn about the role sunlight, blue light, our sleep environment, daily routines, tech exposure, alcohol and drug use, nature and toxin exposure plays on our sleep. You’ll be provided with easy sustainable steps to make changes in these areas, to reclaim sleep.

E – Eating

What we eat, our diet and nutrition, has been linked to how well we sleep.

There is increasing research to show diet and nutrition significantly affects sleep. As a result, in Integrative Sleep Therapy you will learn what foods to eat and when you should eat to improve sleep. You will also learn about the many sleep-promoting nutrients that can be consumed, and evidence-based supplements that you can take to improve sleep.

E – Emotion (Social & Psychology)

Our emotions, connection to others and our cognition can impact our sleep.

Our connection to others and social relationships can influence our sleep, along with mindset, gratefulness and cognition. Integrative Sleep Therapy also explores cultural influences on sleep, and empowers individuals to experiment with sleep advice that aligns to their values.

P – Physical

The physical – the biological, medical, our blood sugar, hormones and gut health – can all impact sleep.

There are several physical factors that can influence sleep and if not addressed quality sleep will be difficult. Some common examples of physical factors that can affect our sleep include various health conditions, pharmaceutical medications, sleep apnea, breathing issues, snoring, blood sugar and hormonal imbalances and gut/digestive health (gut-brain relationship).

I hold the following qualifications:

• Diploma of Naturopathy
• Bachelor of Health Science
• Graduate Diploma in Psychology
• Certified Sleep and Wellbeing Specialist
• Australian Psychological Society CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia) Practitioner
• Currently completing a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) — my thesis examines the role of emotion dysregulation on insomnia severity in adults with elevated ADHD traits

I am a member of the following professional bodies:

• Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS)
• Student member, Australian Psychological Society (APS)
• Student member, Australian Association of Psychologists (AAP)
• Student member, Australasian Sleep Association (ASA)

My work sits at the intersection of natural medicine and psychology — a combination that allows me to address both the physical and psychological contributors to sleep in the one practice.

Lavender Sleep and Wellness is based on the Gold Coast, Queensland. All consultations are conducted via telehealth, which means I can support individuals and families anywhere in Australia — no matter where you are located.

If you are searching for a naturopath and sleep specialist on the Gold Coast, or for online sleep support across Queensland or nationally, I offer flexible appointment options to suit different needs and budgets.

I have particular experience supporting clients with the following sleep-related challenges:

Insomnia in adults and children:

Sleep-onset insomnia (difficulty falling asleep), sleep-maintenance insomnia (waking through the night), early morning waking insomnia, and hypervigilance or hyperarousal that keeps the nervous system on high alert.

Infant and child sleep:

Fragmented or developmentally unsettled infant sleep, sleep anxiety and separation anxiety at bedtime, and children who resist sleep due to sensory sensitivities or high anxiety.

Neurodivergence and sleep:

Sleep challenges in adults and children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, where sensory processing, nervous system differences, hormonal factors and circadian rhythm variation often play a significant role.

Sleep anxiety and fears:

Anxiety and fears around sleep, separation anxiety at bedtime and bedtime fears e.g. of monsters.

Sleep-related breathing and physical factors:

Sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing, enlarged adenoids and tonsils in children, and the impact of gut dysfunction and the gut-brain axis on sleep quality and overnight regulation.

Circadian rhythm disruption:

Circadian rhythm sleep disorders, delayed sleep phase, shift work impacts, and irregular sleep-wake cycles across all ages.

Sleep rage:

Parental anger and frustration that builds around an infant or child’s sleep.

Gut health and sleep:

The guts impact on sleep through the gut-brain-axis.

If you are unsure whether your situation fits, reach out.

My daughter had many sleep challenges. I would spend countless hours rocking, patting, driving, singing, rocking some more and scrolling google looking for ways for both of us to just get more sleep. Sleep wasn’t meant to be so hard. In desperation I hired a sleep consultant, one that promised a gentle method and no sleep training. She came with many positive reviews and had even been featured on a prominent news show as a baby whisperer. When she arrived she promptly put up a curtain of baby blankets tied on the cot. I was told not to look at my crying baby, nor to hold her hand. When I asked ‘but what if she has teething pain’ I was told to ‘rub teething gel on the gums through the curtain’. I was given a document that contained a one-size-fits-all routine that required me to spend up to 2 hours in a dark room to get my daughter to nap. I didn’t know it at the time, but these were all sleep training methods even though the consultant claimed not to sleep train. In the one 15 minute follow up consult I was told that we were causing the sleep issues. Rather than solve our sleep challenges it led to intense frustration for both my daughter and I.

My desire to understand the ‘why’ behind my daughter’s sleep issues resulted in me gaining further education in the field. I know now that my daughter wouldn’t nap because she wasn’t sleepy. She didn’t need a one-size-fits-all routine. She needed no routine and a mum empowered to follow her cues.

Along the way my own sleep derailed and I developed sleep maintenance insomnia. Today, to ensure I sleep well I use a variety of natural treatments, dietary and lifestyle modifications, healthy breathing, and strategies from CBT-I.

Overcoming my and my daughter’s sleep struggles has fuelled my passion for supporting sleep in people of all ages. Now, I aim to educate and empower about all things sleep so that you can sleep better and live well!