How to Become a Baby Sleep Consultant and Work-From-Home Mom
If you’re anything like me, becoming a mom changed everything. As much as I LOVED my career as an RN, the idea of going back to the long hours and missing out on those big milestones just suddenly felt… impossible. Maybe you’ve thought the same thing, wishing you could stay and home and still bring in some extra income. Becoming a certified baby sleep consultant could be the perfect solution. It’s a career that lets you work from home, create your own schedule, and most importantly, never miss a milestone (or even a cuddle). Let’s walk through exactly how to become a baby sleep consultant and make that dream a reality.
Why Become a Baby Sleep Consultant?
By far, the best part of becoming a sleep consultant is all the freedom you gain. Whether you’re working curled up in a blanket on the couch which baby naps, or your picnicking in a part, or even traveling, you’re fully in control of your schedule. There is no clock in and clock out.
Imagine being there for every feeding time, every nap, and never having to choose between work and your baby’s first steps. Plus, the demand for sleep consultants is growing each and every day. It’s becoming even more common for parents to reach out for help and get guidance from the experts. And THAT is where you come in!
And while the freedom is definitely #1, let’s be real. The pay is great too. I’m making more now than I ever did (or likely ever would have) as an RN. Sleep consultants can earn between $350-$400 per client. So even just working part-time, that adds up to $3,500-$4,000 a month. Some of our graduates are earning $60k a year, while others have been able to scale to over $600k. It’s all about how much YOU want to work. If you’d like, you can learn more about how to become a baby sleep consultant and the earning potential in this blog I wrote recently!
Alright, let’s get into the steps involved in how to become a baby sleep consultant:
Step 1: Choose the Right Certification Program
Let me tell you right off the bat – not all programs are created equally. In fact, there are plenty of programs out there that are complete scams. And certification is going to be the most important step you take on this journey. So it’s incredibly important to choose one that doesn’t just teach you about baby sleep (though of course it should cover that A-Z!), you should also look for a program that teaches you the fundamentals of building your consulting business.
At the Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting, our certification program covers everything you need to succeed, form the biology of infant sleep to the best marketing strategies. You’ll get access to our exclusive marketing and client acquisition training, which is the secret behind why so many of our students land their first clients before they even graduate. Plus, we have flexible payment plan options, so you don’t have to stress about affording tuition right away.
Step 2: Enroll and Complete the Course (on YOUR Time!)
Once you’ve chosen your program, the next step is the fun part! You get to put your student hat back on and really obsorb the coursework. Now, I know that can be intimidating when you’ve got a little human to take care of at the same time. That’s a common concern a lot of our students had before enrolling. That’s exactly why the course is 100% self-paced and online. You can work on your course during nap time, while your baby plays, or whenever you get some well-deserved free time.
Typically, most of our students complete the course in about 2 months, which means they’re averaging 12-15 hours dedicated to the course per week. But plenty of our moms take their time with it, which is no problem at all. There are no deadlines here, and you get lifetime access to the material. On the flip side, if you’d like to finish sooner, simply increase the amount of hours you put into the course to 15-20 hours per week and you can finish in just 4-6 weeks. The course was created to be completely flexible for YOUR schedule.
Step 3: Build Your Client Base and Start Working from Home
Graduation from our program is SO exciting, especially for the moms that are ready to transition to working form home. After you’re certified, you’ll be ready to start working with families and actually help your first babies get better sleep. Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start with finding clients. At IPSP, we’ve got that covered, because it’s the #1 concern most new sleep consultants have. Our graduates have a one-page listing on our website, which ranks on the first page of Google. So parents searching for sleep consultants are constantly coming for use to find the right match.
Plus, we also have a private Facebook group with hundreds of members where clients share leads and referrals. And don’t forget that there is so much power with word-of-mouth marketing in this field. You’ll be working with people’s precious little ones, and if they trust you — they’re going to spread the word around their communities. Many of our most successful grads actually have clients lining up thanks to the strategies we cover in the course.
How to Balance a Baby Sleep Consulting Career with Motherhood
One of the biggest concerns new moms have when they’re thinking about getting into baby sleep consulting is finding the right balance between work and family. The whole reason many women turn to this career is because they really want that freedom to work from home and not miss a thing. That’s the real beauty of becoming a baby sleep consultant, it’s designed to be flexible.
Most consultations happen over the phone, through Facetime or Zoom. While some consultants choose to offer higher-ticket in-home services as well, the vast majority of our students operate fully virtual. That means you can be at home with your baby while still earning an income. You set your own hours, so can really incorporate work into you and your baby’s schedule.
And when you’re working through your certification course, it is fully self-paced and 100% online, so you can study from wherever, whenever.
Common Myths About Becoming a Baby Sleep Consultant
You might have heard a few things about becoming a baby sleep consultant that make you hesitate on making the leap. Let’s clear a few of those up here:
1. “The market is too saturated.”
This couldn’t be further from the truth. The demand for certified baby sleep consultant is growing. Think about it — there are over 130 million births per YEAR around the world, which means there are more families needing help than consultants to provide that help. Plus, if you learn the right marketing strategies, you won’t have to worry about competing with others. Many of our grads don’t even have to use social media — they rely only on client referrals!
2. “I won’t be able to find clients.”
I get this one, because it is a common concern for ANYONE starting a new business, no matter the industry. It’s a natural worry to have. But I’m here to tell you that many of our graduates actually find clients before they even finish the course. We have incredible training and support, including the IPSP website listing and the private Facebook group, so getting your first clients will be a whole lot easier than you’d think.
3. “It’s too expensive.”
Any new step you take into a different field or career is scary — and is also likely to cost a chunk of money to get properly trained. But we offer payment plans, including monthly options that start as low as $140 per month. And don’t forget, sleep consultants can earn $350-$400 per client right off the bat, so you’ll make your investment back in no time. Some of our top graduates are making well over six figures a year.
The Sky is the Limit with Earning Options
I’ve seen so many of our students go far beyond typical sleep consultations. That’s one of the great parts about getting certified, you can expand those services. Plenty of our graduates go on to offer services like potty training, newborn care, or even special needs care.
Plus, there are so many opportunities to create partnerships with baby product brands, meaning you can earn extra on the side through affiliate marketing. Or you could go and move into the education space, teaching others in your community about safe baby sleep. The options are really endless, so you can just keep growing your business as much as you’d like (and as much as you have time for!).
Once you’re up and running, YOU get to decide. You can work as much or as little as you want. Because being a sleep consultant isn’t just about work, it’s about creating a lifestyle that works for you and your family. If you’re ready to take the next step toward how to become a baby sleep consultant, check out the IPSP Sleep Consultant Certification Program — you can get started as soon as you’re ready.
And, be sure to download our free sleep consultant starter kit, it goes even more in depth on how to become a baby sleep consultant and start building your dream work-from-home career.
