How to Become a Sleep Consultant and Earn $100K+ a Year
It’s 2 AM, and an exhausted parent is pacing the floor, bouncing a fussy baby who just won’t sleep. Their eyes are heavy, their patience is thin, and they’d do anything for just a few hours of uninterrupted rest.
If you’ve ever been there—or know someone who has—you understand how overwhelming sleep deprivation can be. In fact, a recent survey found that 7 in 10 parents lose three hours of sleep every single night during their baby’s first year. That kind of exhaustion doesn’t just leave them groggy; it can lead to serious health issues like weight gain, high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system.
That’s where sleep consultants come in. As a certified sleep consultant, you have the power to change lives—helping babies sleep better, giving parents their sanity back, and even turning this much-needed skill into a thriving business. Whether you’re looking to supplement your income or fully replace your 9-to-5, this career path offers flexibility, fulfillment, and financial potential.
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What is a Baby Sleep Consultant?
A sleep consultant is a certified professional who helps guide families to the best sleep practices for their babies. Sleep consultants educate families on safe sleep practices, and wake and sleep expectations based on the baby’s age.
These educators present multiple options and help parents determine the best method for them based on their baby’s needs.
Does a Sleep Consultant Require a License?
Sleep consultants fall under the same category as life coaching. Because this is an unregulated field, no license or certification is technically required, but it’s smart to check out sleep consultant certification courses to gain access to the best tools and knowledge available.
Other Sleep Consultant Requirements and Qualifications
To be successful in the sleep consultant field, you need to have good communication skills, flexibility, and patience.
Patience is important, because you will be working with overwhelmed, sleep-deprived clients on a regular basis. The difficult situations that have led parents to you in the first place could mean you become susceptible to their impatience and sharp remarks. Stay calm as you help them through this challenging time.
Sleep Consultant Salary or Pay Expectations
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for a certified baby sleep consultant is $65,338. Some reported salaries reach as high as $107,500, while others dip as low as $19,500.
How to Become a Certified Sleep Consultant
1. Assess Your Skills and Commitment
Before jumping into a sleep consultant career (only to later find out it’s not the right path for you), research the qualifications and skills that are needed to succeed. Whether you offer sessions in person, over the phone, or via online chat, you will need to have stellar communication skills. This career doesn’t end with learning the best methods for helping babies sleep; you will also have to effectively communicate them to tired, emotional parents.
To learn if you have what it takes to become a sleep consultant, check out this free training by Center for Pediatric Sleep Management on the topic. Creator Jayne is a practicing, certified sleep consultant who quickly learned that running the business side of consulting is every bit as important as effectively communicating with parents. She can help you turn your passion for helping others into a profitable business.
Related: Free Business Plan for Sleep Consultants (Why You Need One)
2. Enroll in a Certified Sleep Consulting Course
Staying up-to-date with the latest online baby sleep consultant training will help ensure your success in both practical application and marketing/growing your business. This kind of education is vastly different from reading a $3 sleep training book and abbreviating the contents for tired parents. A comprehensive course will help you learn all of the various sleep training methods, start your business, effectively sell your services, and ultimately connect with clients and meet them at their comfort levels.
What is The Center for Pediatric Sleep Management?
The Center for Pediatric Sleep Management (CPSM) is the only available course that walks students through the entire process, from sleep needs and training methods to marketing your business and landing clients.
You will also be taught how to fill your schedule with paying clients and make more money. After you finish the course, you’ll receive a sleep consultant certification badge to display on your business website, and will have continued access to ongoing support from the course creator and her team.
Ready to become a certified sleep consultant? Use the discount code PAYATHOMEPARENT250 at checkout to get $250 off!
My Review of CPSM
Jayne offers new clients a two-week plan that requires phone calls at the beginning and end. The rest of the communication with her clients is done via text messaging and a personalized digital sleep plan. Her method isn’t an exact science, but it is designed to fit into a busy schedule without tying her clients to the phone all day long.
The CPSM sleep consultant certification course is designed for busy people who are looking for a more efficient way to reach their goals.
Jayne’s expertise in marketing and sales is reflected in her curriculum. She doesn’t just tell her students to set up a business website and start booking clients; she actually demonstrates how to do it. Marketing your business is an ongoing process that you need to learn and master in order to run a successful business.
Enroll in the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management sleep consultant certification course to begin becoming a certified sleep consultant. This comprehensive curriculum is designed to support consultants through the entire process. It will teach you how to identify problems, assess needs, and develop solutions based on each client’s individual circumstances and desires.
You can read my full review of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management to learn more.
3. Take on Practice Clients
Once you have completed the course, it’s time to start taking on clients. This could be intimidating at first, so consider taking on practice clients to help you build your confidence and comfort level. Reach out to friends and family members who might need your help. Offer your services at a highly discounted rate or for free to help you establish yourself before taking on higher-paying clients.
Related: How to Get Your First Sleep Consulting Client
4. Request Testimonials
After working with each family member, ask for a written testimonial to help you market your services. Many consumers will make their purchasing choices based on what someone else said about a product or service in a review.
Let your testimonials work for you; they can help bring clients to you without you having to go search for them. Highlight customer testimonials on your website, Facebook group page, and other social media platforms.
5. Market Your Services
Nobody will know about your new venture unless you tell them about it. The internet is today’s prime resource for promoting a business, so take advantage of all the connections that can come from it.
Create a website, post to social media, share your business with other organizations, and collaborate with other entrepreneurs.
Related: How to Build an Email List for Your Sleep Consulting Business
Questions New Sleep Consultants Are Asking
Is it hard to become a sleep consultant?
The answer to this question will depend on your commitment, dedication, and schedule. Thankfully, sleep consulting courses are available online; you won’t have to spend time having to drive to an in-person class, but can instead complete the class on your own time.
Are sleep consultants in demand?
Parents have always needed help with their babies’ sleep schedules, but more and more people are seeking advice from experts. It’s hard for employees to function well at their jobs when they are running on little to no sleep, so working parents are willing to pay sleep consultants for desperately needed help.
Is it hard to find a job as a sleep consultant?
The ease of finding sleep coaching jobs will depend on where you are advertising your services. Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone in order to find clients. At the start of your new business, you will likely need to do the footwork to find customers. As your business grows and word-of-mouth spreads, it won’t be as difficult to find parents to work with.
How long does it take to become a sleep consultant?
This will depend on the course that you take. Some can be completed in just a few weeks, while others might take months. It will also depend on the time you have to take the lessons and complete the materials.
Who Should Become a Sleep Consultant?
A sleep consultant should be passionate about babies, families, and education.
It can be intimidating to begin a new career, but you can start off on the right foot with the free training by Center for Pediatric Sleep Management. Take a sleep consulting course to learn how to make this a successful move.
Help parents now, give them hope for their babies’ futures, and be the difference for families worldwide who are desperate for more Zzzs. Sleep consultants are life changers for families, and the salary can be life changing for you.
Related: The Pros and Cons of Running a Sleep Consulting Business
