Exploring Life & Business with Sarah Freed of Building Sleep

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Freed.

Hi Sarah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Brazil and became a dentist there. I always loved working with families, and a few years into my career I moved to Los Angeles for a residency for international dentists. That’s when I met my husband, and LA became home.
Everything changed when I went back to school for my master’s in public health. I had a newborn and a toddler at home and was getting almost no sleep. Eventually I couldn’t function, and I developed postpartum psychosis. It was the hardest time of my life, and it taught me that sleep isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation of a parent’s mental health and the whole family’s wellbeing.
After I recovered, I kept thinking about all the parents who believe exhaustion is just part of the deal. I knew sleep was where I could make a real difference, so I got certified as a pediatric sleep consultant and started Building Sleep.

Today I help families with babies and young children, in person around Los Angeles and virtually anywhere. I create personalized sleep plans, offer overnight in-home support, and guide parents through regressions, nap transitions, early wakings, and bedtime battles. Behind every plan is a tired family who just wants to feel like themselves again, and helping them get there is my favorite part of the job.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all! Leaving dentistry was a big leap. I’d built that career twice, in Brazil and again here, and walking away meant starting over in a field most people had never heard of. Running a business on my own has been a learning curve too. I had to figure out marketing, pricing, and how to reach families, all while raising two little ones of my own.
Sleep consulting also isn’t regulated, so anyone can call themselves a sleep consultant. I’ve worked hard to show parents that my approach comes from real training and a background in health care. And opening up about my postpartum psychosis wasn’t easy at first. But every time I share it, a parent tells me they feel less alone, and that makes it worth it.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Building Sleep?
Building Sleep helps families with babies and young children get the sleep they need. I work with parents in person around Los Angeles and virtually anywhere, offering personalized sleep plans, overnight in-home support, and ongoing coaching through everything from newborn sleep to big kid sleep battles.
What sets me apart is my background. As a former dentist with a master’s in public health, I look at sleep through a health lens and consider the whole family, not just the baby. I also know firsthand what severe sleep deprivation can do to a parent, so I never treat exhaustion as something you just have to push through.

That’s also why I partnered with therapist Rebecca Levine (LCSW). Families can add therapy support to their sleep package, because sometimes parents need care for themselves too, not just a better schedule for their little one.

There’s no one size fits all plan here. Every family is different, and I build each plan around the child’s age, temperament, health history, and what feels right for the parents. I stay close throughout the process, adjusting as we go, so no one feels alone in it.

What I’m most proud of is the messages I get afterward. Parents tell me they finally feel like themselves again, that they’re enjoying their baby more, that their home feels lighter. That’s what my business is really about. Better sleep means a healthier, happier family.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think sleep consulting is going to grow up a lot in the next decade. Right now the field isn’t regulated, and I’d love to see it follow the path lactation consulting took, with real standards and certification that parents can trust. I think that’s coming.
I also see sleep being taken much more seriously as part of maternal mental health. More doctors, therapists, and sleep consultants will work together, because we now know how closely exhausted parents and postpartum depression and anxiety are connected. I hope that means more employers and insurance plans start covering sleep support, the same way many now cover lactation help.
Technology will play a bigger role too. Parents already track feeds and naps on their phones, and tools will keep getting smarter. But I don’t think anything replaces having a real person who knows your family and can tell you, you’re doing great, let’s try this tonight. And I think families will keep moving toward gentler, more flexible approaches. Parents want plans that respect their child’s needs and their own values, and that’s exactly where I want this field to go.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.buildingsleep.com
• Instagram: Buildingsleep

Image Credits
Kristine Boel