Looking to learn how to become a sleep consultant? Here’s how you can find pediatric sleep consultant jobs and work from home.
Sleep is important for a baby’s growth and well-being. And, for the parents too!
But many times, parents struggle to help their child get the sleep that they need.
That’s where pediatric sleep consultants come in. They are experts who specialize in helping families with children’s sleep problems so that everyone can get a good night’s sleep. If you enjoy working with kids and want to make a difference in their lives, becoming a sleep coach could be a great new career choice.
Today, I have a helpful interview about how to become a sleep consultant with Jayne Havens. Jayne is a pediatric sleep consultant and founder of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management (a baby sleep training program that can help you get started with this rewarding career).
Today’s interview on how to become a baby sleep consultant answers questions such as:
- What is a sleep consultant?
- What does a sleep consultant do?
- Why do families need child sleep consultants?
- How much does a sleep consultant earn?
- How long does it take to be a sleep consultant?
- Is there enough room for new sleep consultants?
Today’s in-depth interview will help you get started with learning how to become a certified pediatric sleep consultant and perhaps even introduce you to a new way to make money from home.
How To Become a Sleep Consultant
1. Please give us a little background on yourself and how you got started as a sleep consultant.
My journey to becoming a sleep consultant began when my first child was born. He was a really good sleeper as a newborn, but then he hit that classic four month sleep regression that so many babies experience and as a new mother I had no idea what was going on! He went from sleeping through the night to waking every hour on the dot. He wasn’t hungry, a quick pop of the pacifier put him right back to sleep but I was exhausted.
I remember heading to the book store and sitting on the floor surrounded by books about infant sleep. I read everything I could get my hands on as I was motivated to get my baby sleeping again.
After much research, I figured it out. With guidance from books, and support from friends, I sleep trained my son. The experience was life changing.
Teaching my son to fall asleep and back to sleep independently was the best thing I could have done for him and our entire family. He was rested, and I was rested too.
I found it to be such an empowering experience that I decided to help friends. For years it was just a hobby. I would support friends and even friends of friends through the sleep training process. I was good at it, and it felt so nice to help other moms.
Four years later, my daughter was born and thankfully I knew so much more the second time around. I was able to establish healthy sleep habits for her early which was such a relief.
That being said, after four years of staying home with my children, I was itching to get back to work. My husband travels a lot for his job and it felt really impossible to head back to an office job with two young kids at home, so I decided to turn my passion into a career.
I went online, took a sleep consultant certification course and within a few months I got my business up and running. My intention was to have a bit of a side hustle or passion project but my business grew rapidly and within two years I was earning six figures in my business. It was such a blessing because I really was able to grow my business while being the primary caregiver for my children at the same time.
I love that my children are watching me grow a business. We have extra income to take more vacations, make updates to our home, and do all the things that we as a family like to do together.
2. What is a sleep consultant? What does a sleep consultant do?
A sleep consultant supports parents through the process of establishing healthy and independent sleep hygiene for their children.
Depending on the child’s age and the family’s unique circumstances, sometimes this just involves helping the family get into a good routine with naps and feedings during the day, sometimes it’s coaching parents through sleep training, and sometimes it’s supporting parents as they set what I like to call “loving limits” around bedtime with their older children.
A good sleep consultant will meet their clients where they are, and support them to reach their unique goals in a way that feels safe and comfortable for them.
Some sleep consultants will physically go to their clients’ homes and support the family in person, but most sleep consultants support their clients virtually.
At Center for Pediatric Sleep Management, we specifically teach the virtual model of the business. Our students learn how to get onto a discovery call and speak to a prospective client in a way that would make them want to hire you. You will learn how to write a written sleep plan, and coach your clients to achieve their personal goals. The beautiful thing about working as a sleep consultant is that this work can largely be done from your phone or tablet. You can set up FaceTime or Zoom meetings, or phone calls if you prefer. Our day to day support is largely provided via email and text!
3. Why do families need sleep consultants?
Families don’t necessarily need sleep consultants, but the service and support we provide is invaluable.
So many families are struggling to navigate their baby or toddler’s sleep. Their children are up sometimes a dozen times overnight and they lack both the information and support that is necessary to resolve this struggle. There is so much information online, and every single mom-friend is giving different advice.
Sometimes it’s so hard to figure out what to do!
A sleep consultant will look at the family’s unique set of circumstances and provide a plan that is tailored to their needs. Then once a strategy is in place, they will provide a high level of support as parents work to make changes in their home.
This combination of information and support is the perfect recipe for success!
4. How much does a sleep consultant earn?
Some sleep consultants do this work part time and others work full time.
When you work for yourself, the possibilities are endless.
Some graduates of Center for Pediatric Sleep Management make $500-$1,000 each month while doing this on the side of their full-time jobs while others make $15,000 each month or more doing this work full time.
We even have a graduate who earns $40,000 each month from selling online courses to parents who do not want to work 1:1 with a coach. Really anything is possible!
The key to growing a successful sleep consulting business is to take it one day at a time. Set micro-goals for yourself and allow yourself to grow at a pace that is realistic for you. If you keep working on your business and you are committed to your own success, you will achieve your own goals!
5. How long does it take to be a sleep consultant?
Center for Pediatric Sleep Management is a self-paced program and our students have lifetime access to the course curriculum and our Facebook group for students and grads.
The information is delivered via an online platform and the curriculum is a combination of reading and video content.
Everyone finishes their studies on a timeline that works for them, but we estimate the course to be about 50 hours of coursework.
Many of our students complete their training in 4-6 weeks. If you have a busy life and a hectic schedule, no problem. If it takes you longer to complete the course that is entirely ok.
6. How do you qualify as a sleep consultant?
You need no prior education to become a certified sleep consultant. The course curriculum is robust so you must be willing to work hard and learn.
7. Is there a demand for sleep consultants? Is there enough room for new sleep consultants?
Sleep consulting is an up-and-coming field.
Most new parents have never even heard of a sleep consultant so there is lots of room for growth in this field. There will always be way more tired parents than there are sleep consultants, so it’s up to us as sleep consultants to normalize this type of support and show parents why it’s life changing for them to hire a sleep consultant.
Just like with any profession, I don’t believe in an over-saturation of the market. Sure, there may be tons of lawyers, real estate agents, dentists, occupational therapists etc. but if you are good at your job, you can grow a clientele and a successful business.
There is not a finite number of seats at the table of success!
8. How does a sleep consultant find customers?
The secret to growing a successful consulting business is making sure that as many people as possible know that you have a business and how you can serve your target audience.
Some sleep consultants grow an audience on social media, connecting with prospective clients online.
Other sleep consultants really avoid social media and prefer to connect in real life. Pediatricians, occupational therapists, feeding specialists, preschool teachers, daycare directors, family photographers, little gym owners etc. are all great referral sources for sleep consultants.
If you are willing to network with professionals that already support parents in other capacities, you will have no trouble building a client base for your own business!
Once you have supported a handful of families, chances are they will have such a life-changing experience that they will scream your name from the rooftops! Client referrals are the best kind because these new families have already heard first hand how helpful you have been to someone they trust.
9. Do you need a college degree to become a sleep consultant?
No degree necessary!
10. Can you list the steps needed to get started as a sleep consultant?
The first step is to enroll in a sleep consultant certification course. Once you have enrolled, commit to finishing your course. Once you have completed your training and all assignments, the next step will be to get your business up and running.
This can feel daunting and overwhelming, but not to worry as it’s all outlined in the business section of the program. You will take care of some logistical tasks such as forming an LLC, setting up your business bank account and perhaps a website and social media accounts.
More importantly you will start making some connections. Announce to friends and family that you have launched your own sleep consulting business and don’t be afraid to ask people you know to share your business with their circle. Word of mouth is so powerful.
When you land that first client, make sure to take great care of them as you will want them to have a positive experience and share your name with their friends who may also benefit from your support.
11. What other tips do you have to share?
I always like to say, the secret to getting ahead is GETTING STARTED!
There is no sense waiting around as that will only delay your success. When you commit to starting something new, even if it feels a bit scary and outside of your comfort zone, that’s the first step that will be one of many that ultimately leads you in the direction you wish to go.
As entrepreneurs we all fear the unknown. We also fear failure. In order to succeed, you have to be willing to try!
12. Can you tell me more about the sleep consultant business training that you offer? Why did you decide to start a course?
I decided to create my own sleep consultant certification course because I noticed that there were some major gaps in other programs offered at the time.
Some courses only teach one approach, which is an approach that they deem to be the best. The problem with this is that there really is no one size fits all approach to sleep training. The key to success with this process really is meeting families where they are and coaching them through methods that align with their parenting style.
Forcing parents to implement sleep training techniques that don’t feel comfortable for them is the fast track to failure! At CPSM we are fully committed to teaching all sleep training methods and techniques. This best prepares our students for success!
I also noticed upon graduation from a sleep consultant certification course that many students were craving a higher level of mentorship and support than what was being provided through these programs. Students and graduates had questions that were being answered by others who didn’t necessarily have the experience or the qualifications to be giving sound advice. It felt like the blind leading the blind. When I launched my own program I knew I wanted to do it better. I am committed to making sure that my students always feel supported and that they always have answers to their questions.
Lastly CPSM places a very heavy emphasis on business building and entrepreneurship. I recognize that most who decide to become sleep consultants have no prior experience with launching or growing their own small business. This feels very overwhelming and scary to them. We address this head on inside our curriculum by teaching sales, marketing, business growth strategy and mindset work inside the course. Our students come to us as apprehensive and nervous beginners and we turn them into confident experts. It’s the greatest feeling in the world seeing their transformation before my eyes. I hope you will join us!
You can learn more about the course at Center for Pediatric Sleep Management.
Do you want to learn how to become a sleep consultant?
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