Your Questions Answered: FAQs About Becoming a Sleep Consultant

Sleep consulting is a rewarding career, as nothing beats the feeling of helping an exhausted family get through the trenches of sleeplessness. If you’ve been there…struggling with your child’s sleep habits, unsure whether you’re ever going to sleep again, wondering if you’re doing something wrong… then you know how life-changing sleep (or the lack of sleep) can be.

Maybe your life has been changed by a sleep consultant who partnered with your family and supported you in getting your child to sleep better. Maybe the thought of helping families get through those hard days lights your soul on fire.

We’ve been there ourselves, and it’s because of our experience that we have worked hard to create a sleep consulting certification program that will equip our graduates with everything they need to become the go-to resource for all things sleep.

If you’re considering becoming a sleep consultant, this post is for you, as we’re answering some of the FAQs we’ve received about building and running a sleep consulting business.

Have a question that we didn’t answer here? Check out our FAQ page for more (and a you’ll find a bonus freebie there too!)

What ages of clients should I expect to work with the most?

People may assume that only young babies have trouble sleeping, as that is largely portrayed in the media and online. But ask any sleep-deprived parent of a toddler, and you will quickly discover that’s not the case.

Children of all ages may struggle with sleep – some from the moment they are born, and others after changes in their routines and family life (new siblings, a big move, transitions in the home, etc.).

The age of children you will work with the most largely depends on who your ideal client will be – do you want to serve tired mamas who are in the beginning stages of motherhood, or do you want to serve mamas who have rambunctious toddlers? Or maybe you want a good mix of all ages.

Some sleep consultants find that they love working with a certain age group, so they’ll stick with that age range. The truth of it is, every family is unique, so you will find a variety of ages who need your help. One of the perks of being a business owner is that you get to decide what ages you will work with.

How much time do you spend preparing to start working with new clients?

When you begin working with a new client, there are two main things you’ll need to do before beginning your support journey with them:

• Find out more about their situation. This may include a discovery call where you talk to the caregivers on the phone and listen to what their biggest struggles include, share how you can help them, and answer any questions they have. Sometimes, you’ll also send them a questionnaire to get a deeper look into the sleep situation and specific details about their family. For instance, some families have unique work schedules or home environments, so knowing all of the details beforehand is necessary in order to support them the best you can.

• Create a sleep plan for their family. After you have a good understanding about what’s going on with the child’s sleep and the family’s home life, you’ll create a sleep plan. This process can take a few hours as you start out, but in time, you will become more efficient at writing sleep plans, and the time commitment will decrease.

Every family situation is different, so we ensure you are prepared to be responsive to cultural differences, families with postpartum mood/anxiety disorders, and feeding difficulties by providing expert trainings in our program. By the end of our certification program, you will feel confident in your ability to support families, regardless of their situation.

It’s important to remember that, just like anything, you will get better in time. While you may spend a bit of time preparing for your first few clients, after a while, you’ll have your systems and routines down.

How much of your life do you have to share on social media?

This is entirely up to you and what you feel is right for your business!

There are some sleep consultants who share all the details about their personal lives, and there are some who don’t share anything about their personal lives.

The truth is, you can be successful no matter how much you share.

(Look @sharonsaysso— she shares her expertise, not her children or much of her daily life!)

When it comes down to it, social media is a platform that you can use to grow your business and help your audience get to know, like, and trust you. All of that is possible, regardless of how much you decide to share about your personal life.

If you’d like more information on how social media isn’t the only source of new clients, you might be interested in our recent survey data. We surveyed sleep consultants in the field asking about their experience, including where they feel the majority of their clients come from, and compiled the data into this free download.

Is there an actual need for sleep consultants?

Short answer: Yes!

Long answer: Four babies are born per second in the United States alone, and parents aren’t always equipped with the knowledge of baby sleep, nor do they always have the support of other people to help out. In fact, parents lose an average of 44 full nights of sleep in their first year of parenthood.

So, yes. Sleep consultants are greatly needed.

Whether you’re educating caregivers on their child’s sleep needs, providing strategies to help their child sleep independently, or supporting families while they make big changes in routines and habits, your expertise will change a family’s entire situation.

In our opinion, there can never be too many sleep consultants doing that work.

Is it possible to balance raising a kid while working from home?

Is it possible? Yes.

Is it hard work? Also yes.

Building a business while raising your children can be challenging, but it’s also rewarding. As you navigate the world of work and raising kids, you will learn what works for your family and what doesn’t.

This topic is very near to our hearts, as we’re passionate about both business and family, so we compiled a few reminders and tips to help you be as successful as possible. You can check our post on building a business while building a family here.

Starting any new venture takes courage and its natural for questions to come up as you decide whether it’s right for you. If you feel a desire in your heart to help other families through sleep consulting, take a look at our Sleep Consultant Academy to see if this is the right program for you. We’re currently having a sale for $1000 (with code APRILSHOWERS) off your tuition, so now is the perfect time to jump in!