This archive report was first published on 31 August 2019.
From Insurance to Sleep Therapy: Ruth Mwende's Journey ¶
Published on August 31, 2019
Ruth Mwende, a 33-year-old entrepreneur, never thought she'd leave her job in insurance to become a sleep therapist. However, after giving birth to her daughter six years ago, she discovered a new passion for helping babies sleep.
"People call me the sleep doctor, baby whisperer or paediatrician-cum-sleep consultant. I think I'll adopt the name sleep doctor soon though," Mwende said with a laugh.
After quitting her job to care for her newborn, Mwende realized that taking care of babies was a challenging task. She soon discovered that sleep therapy was an underresearched topic in Kenya, which sparked her interest.
With years of practice, Mwende has perfected her skill in sleep therapy and can confidently say that there's no child she cannot put to sleep. She attributes her success to her ability to understand the correlation between sleep and behavior.
"The better the baby sleeps, the better behaved they are," Mwende explained.
Through her services, Mwende has helped numerous mothers and their babies. She has also established the Momzy Network, a platform that connects mothers who can help each other in motherhood.
"It's a struggle, and it takes a village," Mwende said. "Now my phone calls start with: 'Hi Mwende. I was referred to you by so and so.'"
Mwende's services start from Sh15,000 for babies between 0-11 weeks and Sh20,000 from three months onwards. She takes four weeks to work on a child's sleep and has to do physical examinations on some babies to test their colic reflux gas.
"I plan months so that I am fully present for one family. Sleep training is a very emotional programme. The work is not about just putting a baby to sleep; it's about empathy to the mother too," Mwende said.
With her passion for sleep therapy, Mwende plans to open a sleep research centre soon and venture into adult sleep. Her ultimate goal is to bring peace to families and help mothers like her who have been struggling with sleep-deprived babies.
