5 Steps to Becoming a Successful Sleep Consultant

We know a thing or two about the sleep consulting field. Together, we bring a wealth of knowledge and experience - over 8 years’ worth! - when it comes to working with clients and running a business.

So much, in fact, that we decided to start The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness, where it is our mission to ensure every parent has access to the evidence-based sleep support they need - and to empower women to build successful sleep consulting businesses.

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I become a sleep consultant?” or “Do I need to be certified to be a sleep consultant?” or even, “How much does it cost to become a sleep consultant?” we are here to help answer those questions today!

We want to make sure you know exactly what you need to do to become not just any sleep consultant, but a successful sleep consultant.

Here are our five steps:

Step 1 - Find a Certification Program

One of our goals at The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness is to elevate the field of sleep consulting, so we are going to give a resounding “YES!” to that question - “Do I need to be certified?”

Sleep consulting isn’t a regulated field, so technically, anyone could do it. But we’re talking about working with people’s babies and children here!

Think of it this way…

You don’t need formal training to become a really good cook…but if you wanted to be a master chef, it’s probably something you’d want to invest in and learn all you could to be successful.

…And to have some credentials to back you up with potential guests or clients.

It’s the same way with sleep consulting. Without proper certification and training, parents aren’t going to want to hire you. You won’t be able to provide the best service possible without the knowledge and experience that comes with a certification program.

Another thing to think about is that not all certification programs are equal. Do your research and find the one that most aligns with your parenting and sleep philosophies. Also, make sure the content included in the course or program covers every area you’ll need training in:

• Sleep Foundations

• Sleep Modifications

• Age Considerations

• Sleep Disturbers

• Working with Families

• Business Building

Maybe consider a program that also includes:

• Continuing Education

• A Community of Sleep Consultants

• Real-world Experience and/or Mentorship

We found a HUGE need for another program in the market that covered ALL of these areas, and that’s what we made sure was the basis of our Sleep Consultant Academy course.

Step 2 - Get Certified!

Once you’ve found the program that checks off all your boxes, it’s time to invest some time and money into your training.

The investment and work you put into your training and certification will be, or at least - should be - similar to taking a grad course. The investment for many programs reflects this as well. Here we address the question, “How much does it cost to become a sleep consultant?” Some programs are cheaper (is it quality, though??), and some are more expensive (is the value of what’s included in the program worth the price?). There is a lot that goes into becoming a quality sleep consultant, so make sure you do your research and again, find the right program for you!

If you’re afraid of learning or hard work, then maybe this isn’t the best fit for you at this time. However, sleep consulting is also the most rewarding job! If you make the effort to learn everything you can from your program, graduate, and start working with families, you are going to make a HUGE difference in so many people’s lives!

Many programs have a mentorship program and/or an internship period where you work with families and gain some real-life experience. At The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness, we make sure you get paid for the work you’re doing, and offer a paid internship to all of our graduates upon completing our course.

We also believe there is power in community, so you’ll automatically be welcomed into our Facebook group just for our Collective students and graduates. We share any and all news with updates to our program, help answer any questions you have as you go through the course, and even help you strategize when you start working with your own clients! You have access to the group and the course for life.

Step 3 - Make Your (Business) Plan

Did you know that you can become a sleep consultant and NOT run your own business? There are plenty of sleep consultant businesses out there who NEED HELP and will hire you to work for them as long as you’re certified.

So, if the idea of helping families sleep without all the behind-the-scenes work of running your own business sounds more appealing to you, then you’re in luck! We offer a few options for our program - just The Academy course OR The Academy Course + The Mentorship Package.

Just the course is an option for anyone and everyone who wants to become certified. You’ll also have access to our Business Building module, so if you decide, “Yes, I DO want to start and run my own business,” you’ll have everything you need to do that. But, with the course + the mentorship, you will get a hand to hold from the founders for the first three months of starting your business.

So, your plan can include the business side of things…or not! It’s totally up to you.

Step 4 - Implement Your Plan

Now that you’ve done your training, completed your mentorship period, and have launched your business, it’s time to implement your plans for your business!

Maybe you’ve launched your business, and you’re like, “Well, now what?”

• How will you get clients?

• How will you market your business?

• Will you solely work one-on-one with families or will you also offer guides or courses?

• How and when will you grow your own team of sleep consultants?

OR, maybe your plan is to work for another sleep consultant. Great! Get hired, learn their client processes, and HELP FAMILIES SLEEP!

If you’ve taken our course, you already have a solid foundation and are planning your next steps.

We can’t speak for the other programs out there.

Step 5 - Continue to Learn and Grow to Serve Your Clients Well

If there’s anything we’ve learned over the past 5-10 years we’ve been in the business of helping families sleep, it’s that sleep research is continually being studied and updated. We learn more and more! It’s important to keep up with it.

Also, with the ever-changing algorithms on various social media platforms and/or Google ads and best practices for search engine optimization ever-changing in the online space, it’s important to keep up with things from a marketing perspective!

We make sure to provide monthly continuing education for all our sleep consultants. Topics vary from sleep education to best practices for running your business. We also have a marketplace with exclusive access just for our students and graduates to ensure you have trusted resources and companies that can help you run your business smoothly - and at a discounted price.

Make sure the program you choose not only sets you up for success upon graduation but throughout your career as a sleep consultant.

We know we’ve given you a lot to think about. It’s not a small decision, but it is an important one!

If we can ever answer any questions you have about our program at The Collective for Family Rest and Wellness, we invite you to set up a free call with us to learn more. We’d love to answer any questions you have, and hopefully, we’ll see you in our program soon.