A Northumbria graduate has partnered with international baby brand Mamas & Papas to become their resident sleep expert.
Imogen Russell launched The Little Sleep Company in 2022 during her final year of a Psychology degree at Northumbria amid aims to help children get their ‘biological best sleep’.
She works with parents to understand what is causing sleep disruption and how to tackle challenges to make sure youngsters get enough rest. Now she is representing The Little Sleep Company as Mamas & Papas’ dedicated resident sleep expert, offering baby sleep support for parents through the Yorkshire company.
Her work sees her offer advice on how to navigate naps as little ones grow older, to supporting parents on their own well-being, through blogs, videos and instore materials.
Ms Russell, a certified sleep consultant, said: “Sleep deprivation is really tough on families and there is a lot of unhelpful advice online, especially on social media. I’m working with Mamas and Papas to help empower parents, as a well-rested family makes for a happy home that enjoys calm nights and contented days.
“Families often don’t ask for help until they’re in crisis. My aim with The Little Sleep Company is to help support them before they reach this point, with gentle and compassionate strategies, so everyone gets the sleep they need.
“Less than five hours of sleep a night has a similar effect on your cognitive abilities as being drunk. This undoubtedly has an effect on day-to-day life which can spill into the workplace if not managed appropriately.”
Through her video series and blog features, across Mamas & Papas’ website and social channels - including its YouTube and Instagram platforms - Ms Russell has reached thousands of parents with her expert advice and real-life tips. With guidance at every stage from newborn to toddler, as well as parental sleep, Imogen has covered a vast range of sleep-related topics to provide invaluable support to Mamas & Papas’ customers and wider community.
Claire Rayner, marketing director at Mamas & Papas, said: “Our purpose is to inspire and support parents in becoming the best parents they can be; confident, capable and loving life with their little ones, and our Partnership with Imogen enables us to provide our parent community with supportive sleep guidance and information, no matter where they are on their journey. Providing access to specialists across common parenting concerns not only deepens our engagement with our community, but provides a significant platform for partners, like Imogen, to further grow their reach and audiences.”
A group of Northumbria Master’s students recently carried out a consultancy project through the University’s Business Clinic, working with The Little Sleep Company on research surrounding the impact lack of sleep has in the workplace. They found that by increasing parental sleep by one hour per night, organisations experienced a rise in productivity by 20%.
The Little Sleep Company is based at the University’s Incubator Hub, office space which provides business support for Northumbria student and graduate entrepreneurs.
Ms Russell added: “Support from the beginning has been second to none. My mentors are fantastic and have had a big part to play in my recent partnership with Mamas & Papas.
“There is a network of support and encouragement from all those at the Incubator Hub, including the other businesses who work from there. As business owners, we can all relate to the challenges that come with this which means we can share our learnings and help each other succeed. It’s a super positive environment which is so welcomed for start-ups.”
Graham Baty, head of enterprise development at Northumbria, said: “Imogen has made an outstanding start with the business. Securing such a well known brand as one of her first clients is testimony to the hard work Imogen has put in to researching and developing her idea from its inception. I’m sure there will be further large clients secured in the future.”
Northumbria University has been ranked in the top 10 in the Ƶ for the last 15 years for graduate start-ups based on aggregate turnover, according to the Higher Education Business Community Interaction Survey 2022/23 and has been placed in the top five for 11 of those years.
