Bridging Early Childhood Education, Neuroscience & Respectful Family Sleep Support

Meet Laura Diez Lizana, Early Childhood Educator, Master in Educational Neuroscience, infant sleep professional, founder of Estrellitas a Brillar, mother of two, graduate of the International Parenting & Health Institute’s Holistic Pregnancy & Child Sleep Consultant Certification Program, and former Spanish-language instructor for IPHI.

Based in Temuco in southern Chile, Laura has built a professional career around understanding children, not simply how they sleep, but how they develop, learn, connect and experience the world around them.

Her professional foundation began in early childhood education, where she spent nearly a decade working directly with children between the ages of two and six. She later earned a master’s degree in Educational Neuroscience, expanded her education into infant and child sleep, and ultimately transformed both her professional knowledge and personal experience as a mother into Estrellitas a Brillar.

Today, Laura supports families through an approach she describes simply as:

“Ciencia + Corazón” — Science + Heart.

It is a fitting description of a career that brings together child development, neuroscience, sleep science, emotional connection and the realities of parenting.

Nearly a Decade Inside the Early Childhood Classroom

Long before Laura became a sleep professional, she was learning about children by working directly alongside them.

In 2010, Laura earned her degree as an Early Childhood Educator (Educadora de Párvulos) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Universidad Católica de Temuco.

From 2010 through 2018, she worked in early childhood education, supporting children between approximately two and six years old in classroom environments.

Those years provided an important foundation for what would eventually become her work with sleep.

Children don’t exist as collections of isolated behaviors.

Their emotions, relationships, learning, development, environment, temperament and physical needs constantly interact.

Understanding the developing child would eventually become central to Laura’s philosophy of sleep support.

Adding Neuroscience to Education

Laura continued her academic education by earning a Master’s Degree in Educational Neuroscience from Universidad Mayor in 2018.

That education allowed her to deepen her understanding of the developing brain and the relationship between neuroscience, learning and child development.

It also became particularly relevant as her career moved toward sleep.

Sleep plays an important role in processes associated with learning and memory, and Laura’s interest in the relationship between sleep and brain development ultimately became part of the identity behind her own practice.

In fact, the name Estrellitas a Brillar—Little Stars Shining—has a special meaning.

Laura explains that the “stars” symbolize neurons and her understanding of what occurs in the brain during sleep. For her, sleep is therefore not simply about accumulating more hours of rest. It is part of children’s broader wellbeing and development.

When Professional Knowledge Became Personal

Despite Laura’s extensive experience working with young children, it was motherhood that ultimately changed the direction of her career.

When her son Cristóbal was young, sleep became a significant challenge for their family.

He woke frequently throughout the night, appeared tired during the day, and Laura and her husband found themselves searching for answers.

Eventually, they sought professional sleep support.

As their nights began changing, Laura became increasingly interested in understanding sleep herself.

She completed her first in-person infant sleep certification in Sarasota, Florida, in 2019.

But her philosophy continued evolving.

Rethinking What Children’s Sleep Support Could Look Like

During the pandemic, Laura began reconsidering some of her earlier ideas about parenting and sleep.

She describes having previously been highly focused on doing things “correctly”, following the books, getting things right and trying to parent perfectly.

Over time, her perspective shifted.

Rather than pursuing a perfect baby who sleeps through the night or applying rigid formulas, Laura became increasingly interested in understanding the individual child:

Their development.

Their temperament.

Their emotions.

Their relationships.

And the needs and realities of the family surrounding them.

That evolution would ultimately become central to the way she works today.

Creating Estrellitas a Brillar

In 2019, Laura founded the practice that is now known as Estrellitas a Brillar, originally operating as Bebé a Dormir.

Since then, she has supported families from different countries with infant and child sleep.

Her current professional approach integrates her background in early childhood education, educational neuroscience and evidence-informed sleep support with emotional connection and conscious parenting.

Her website emphasizes understanding what is happening before intervening.

Rather than assuming every waking or sleep difficulty has the same cause, Laura encourages families to consider multiple possibilities, from development and schedules to sleep patterns and individual family circumstances.

Her philosophy is centered around gradual, individualized changes and respect for the family’s parenting approach.

Continuing Her Sleep Education With IPHI

Laura’s professional education continued to evolve.

From 2022–2023, she completed additional education with the International Parenting & Health Institute through its holistic maternal and child sleep program.

As a graduate of IPHI’s Holistic Pregnancy & Child Sleep Consultant Certification Program, Laura expanded upon her existing sleep education through a broader holistic framework.

This complemented a professional philosophy already deeply influenced by child development, neuroscience, emotional connection and individualized family support.

But Laura’s relationship with IPHI didn’t end when she completed the program.

It eventually evolved from student to educator.

From IPHI Graduate to Spanish-Language Instructor

From 2024–2025, Laura served as a Spanish-language instructor for IPHI’s holistic maternal and child sleep program, teaching alongside IPHI founder Mar De Carlo.

That transition represents an important chapter in Laura’s professional journey.

She first came to IPHI to continue expanding her own education.

She later helped educate other professionals.

As an instructor, Laura was able to bring her combination of early childhood education, neuroscience, professional sleep experience and work with families into the classroom for Spanish-speaking students.

Today, we are proud to recognize her not only as an IPHI graduate, but also as a former IPHI Spanish-language instructor who contributed to educating another generation of holistic sleep professionals.

Science + Heart

Laura describes the philosophy behind Estrellitas a Brillar with two words:

Ciencia + Corazón.

Science + Heart.

It’s an unusually fitting summary of her professional journey.

Science matters.

Child development matters.

Evidence matters.

But so do relationships.

Temperament.

Emotions.

Family circumstances.

And the lived experience of exhausted parents trying to make thoughtful decisions for their children.

Laura’s current work intentionally brings those perspectives together.

She describes her approach as respectful, close and evidence-based, integrating sleep with development, attachment and the individual reality of each family.

Motherhood Continues to Shape the Professional

Today, Laura lives in Temuco with her husband Jaime and their children, Cristóbal and Catalina.

Cristóbal may have opened the door to her professional interest in sleep, but Laura says Catalina continues teaching her another important lesson:

Children’s sleep isn’t linear.

Development changes.

Illness happens.

Difficult nights return.

Children go through new stages.

And sometimes they simply need more from the adults caring for them.

Becoming a mother again has kept Laura connected to the experience of the families she supports—not only as a professional who understands sleep, but as a parent who understands exhaustion.

Supporting Hundreds of Families

What began with one family’s difficult nights has grown considerably.

Since establishing her practice in 2019, Laura has worked with families across different countries, and her current Instagram profile reports having supported more than 500 families.

Her work today focuses on helping parents understand what may be contributing to their child’s sleep rather than immediately reaching for a predetermined method.

The goal isn’t to create identical sleepers.

It’s to understand the child in front of you.

That distinction brings together nearly every chapter of Laura’s career:

Early Childhood Education

Educational Neuroscience

Motherhood

Child Development

Sleep Science

Emotional Connection

Holistic Sleep Education

Professional Teaching

And ultimately, family support.

Professional Profile

Laura Diez Lizana

Early Childhood Educator | M.Ed./Master’s-Level Educational Neuroscience | Infant & Child Sleep Professional

Location: Temuco, Chile

Founder: Estrellitas a Brillar

Education

Early Childhood Educator & Bachelor’s Degree in Education
Universidad Católica de Temuco — 2010

Master’s Degree in Educational Neuroscience
Universidad Mayor — 2018

Professional Experience

Early Childhood Educator — 2010–2018

Nearly 10 years working directly with young children

Infant & Child Sleep Professional — since 2019

Founder, Estrellitas a Brillar — since 2019

Former IPHI Spanish-Language Instructor — 2024–2025

IPHI Certification

Holistic Pregnancy & Child Sleep Consultant Certification Program

International Parenting & Health Institute

Additional Sleep Education

First in-person Infant Sleep Certification
Sarasota, Florida — 2019

Areas of Expertise

Infant & Child Sleep
Educational Neuroscience
Early Childhood Development
Respectful Sleep Support
Parent Education
Emotional Connection
Family-Centered Sleep Support
Evidence-Informed Sleep Education

From Educator to Graduate to Instructor

Laura’s professional journey has come full circle in a particularly meaningful way.

She began as an educator supporting young children.

Motherhood introduced her to the realities of disrupted sleep.

Her questions led her toward sleep education.

Her curiosity led her deeper into the field.

Her professional education brought her to IPHI.

And eventually, the student became the instructor.

Today, Laura continues supporting families through Estrellitas a Brillar, bringing together years of experience in education, neuroscience, child development, sleep and motherhood.

Her story demonstrates that professional expertise isn’t built through one certification or one experience.

It develops through education, lived experience, curiosity, continued learning and years spent working with real children and families.

And perhaps Laura’s own words capture that evolution best: