6 Shocking Things to Know Before Becoming a Sleep Consultant (#3 Will Blow Your Mind)
If you’ve been thinking of becoming a sleep consultant, you want to be sure you have the complete picture of what to expect. While you may be thrown a curveball from time to time, having a basic understanding of your role as a sleep consultant and the different scenarios that can play out is key. We have complied a list of things you need to know. Let me tell you, there are some things that will make your jaw drop (especially #3)! Are you ready? We’re going to dive in!
Things to Know Before Becoming a Sleep Consultant
1. Sleep Consultants are in High Demand
When families are not getting enough sleep, they will be cranky and looking for help. Enter the sleep consultant. Families who have reached their breaking out, or fear will soon, reach out to sleep consultants to learn what they can do to help their children sleep, and consequently, allow them to sleep. With the Centers for Disease Control reporting that nearly 10,000 babies are born in the U.S. every day, the pool of potential clients will always exist.
2. You May Face Criticism
Although you were hired and are getting paid by a family to teach them how they can help their child sleep better, they may not always welcome your advice with open arms. Expect to face some criticism when you share different techniques and ideas, even when they are evidence-based and scientifically proven to work. Remember, you’re dealing with sleep-deprived adults who are emotionally tapped out. That means they may have no filter when dealing with you.
3. Some Sleep Consultants Bring in a 6-Figure Salary!
Yes!! This is the mind-blowing fact that you need to know about becoming a sleep consultant. So, if you’re just starting out or are working part-time, you probably won’t be adding as many zeros to your income. Part-time sleep consultants typically make between $1,000 and $4,000 a month depending on how many clients they take on. But full-time sleep consultants who have a large client base can earn between $5,000 and $10,000 a month or more! When you do the math, you know that this can equal up to $120,000 a year! This is all while creating their own flexible schedule and working remotely. You’re in the driver’s seat of how quickly or slowly you grow your business but knowing that the potential to earn this type of salary exists is motivation to work hard.
4. There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Before you become a sleep consultant, you should know that there’s no recipe to follow that is going to work for every family. We all know that each child is unique, which means they are all going to have different needs when it comes to improving their sleep patterns. What works for baby A may not work for baby B, and that’s okay! Sleep consultants must get to know their clients and understand their needs to determine which methods will work best. During the process, you also have to expect to have some trial and error as you zero in on what will help everyone get the sleep they are so desperately craving.
5. You’re Going to Need to Manage Your Own Business
You can’t expect to put your sleep consulting business on cruise control while you just sit back and relax. You’re going to need to manage all aspects of your business unless you plan on hiring someone to help you. Be prepared to learn some marketing skills or brush up on ones you may already have. Add client management and financial planning to your business to-do list, if you plan on establishing a business that can grow as you would like it. Being a sleep consultant is a hands-on business that requires you to be in the driver’s seat.
6. The Market is Highly Unregulated
If you think that all sleep consultants are certified, think again! The field is largely unregulated. There are many people out there who slap on the label of “sleep consultant” who have had little to minimal training and are definitely not certified. This means that you could be competing with people who are not educated and have no knowledge of child development or sleep science. Yikes! Bottom line, get certified if you’re serious about becoming a successful sleep consultant. You’ll thank me later.
FAQ About Becoming a Sleep Consultant
Now that we’ve shared some shocking things you should know about becoming a sleep consultant (Are you still reeling from #3?), it’s time to answer some frequently asked questions:
Do I need prior experience with children to become a sleep consultant?
While it can help, it is not a requirement to have prior experience with children to become a sleep consultant.
At what point do people start looking for a sleep consultant?
All families are going to be different about when they decide they need the help of a sleep consultant. Many families choose to hire a sleep consultant within a baby’s first few months of life so that they can fix any sleep problems before they become bigger ones.
What makes a good sleep consultant?
Being educated and certified makes a good sleep consultant as well as being a good communicator. You need to be able to talk to and listen to your clients. You also need to be empathetic to your client’s needs, understanding how important it is for their babies to develop good sleep habits.
How do I find clients once I become a certified sleep consultant?
After you’ve become certified, you can start finding clients by networking with parent groups, marketing through social media, and building a strong presence online. It’s also good to just talk to family and friends and let them know about your services. You never know who knows someone who could use your services! Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool, and best of all it’s free, which is key when you’re just starting out.
At the Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting, we offer a comprehensive Sleep Consultant Program that will teach you what you need to know about becoming a sleep consultant as you earn your certification. Get educated, get certified, and get to work on helping families find their best night of sleep yet!