How to Become a Sleep Consultant: Step by Step Instructions

Congratulations ––  you’ve chosen (or are considering) one of the most flexible, lucrative and rewarding jobs out there! Our students love that they can choose their own hours. They also tell us the satisfaction of helping families is unbeatable. (And we agree!)

But if you’re looking for a future in pediatric sleep consulting, where do you start? Is it expensive? How long does it take to become a baby sleep consultant?

We cover all of that and more below. Here is everything you need to know to become a baby and child sleep consultant…and set your own hours, for the career of your dreams.

In This Article

We cover these questions and more:

• How much do sleep consultants earn?
• How much does it cost to become a sleep consultant?
• How long does it take to become a baby sleep consultant?
• Where can you find the best online sleep consultant training options?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Sleep Consultant?

The school you choose may determine for you exactly how long it will take to finish. After that, you can begin finding clients right away. Or choose a self-paced program, like the IPSP Sleep Consultant Certification course.

On average, it takes IPSP students approximately two months to finish their courses and start seeking clients. 

The IPSP perk: you never need to feel rushed. Study on your own time, while still spending time with your family or on the job. That’s a win for both of us!

How Do I Get My Sleep Consultant Certification?

Obviously, this is what you’re most interested in knowing. Different schools will require different steps in order to receive your sleep consultant certification.

Most programs will require a certain amount of hours and specific classes that you must pass in order to receive your certification.

For reference, here are the steps at IPSP’s Certified Baby Sleep Consultant program:

• The student takes courses for a total of approximately 80-120 study/school hours. (The timing of these is flexible. Work around your own schedule; you never have to feel rushed.)
• Assignments are taken by the student in seven training modules. 
• After completing your classes, you will take and submit your final exam. The exam is graded within four days of receipt by IPSP.
• You will then be notified via email of your exam grade.
• If you have passed the program, you will receive a printable certificate, Certified Sleep Consultant digital badge, and instructions for setting up your one-page graduate profile on the IPSP website.

Those are the basics. But of course, you have more questions. How much will you earn as a baby sleep consultant? How do you know you have chosen the right school and your certificate is genuine? Can you be accredited as an infant/child sleep consultant?

Here are the answers to those questions, plus a few you may not have thought of. (But they’re IMPORTANT ––  so please read the entire article!)

What is the Best Sleep Consultant Training Online?

We will always urge you to research schools and find the best one for you.

Please make sure you consider the cost, the time frame, flexibility, teachers’ credentials, and the availability of the most current legal information.

We have researched many schools, some of which closed within a year (or less), and others that offer copied-and-pasted information, a lack of great teachers, or are charging exorbitant rates for very short-term teaching.

At IPSP we engage in an ongoing effort to make sure we deliver the best certified sleep consultant training online that you can work on in your own time. We also make sure you have access to teachers with any questions you have. Ready to get started? Click here!

How Much Does a Baby Sleep Consultant Make?

The reality is that we all must earn a living in order to thrive and be happy. So it’s likely that you’re wondering what kind of income you can expect once you graduate.

We recently surveyed IPSP graduates to get the answer. This is what we found out:

• On average, graduates using baby sleep consulting as a side hustle make $10-50K per year.
• Baby sleep consultants working part-time earn an average of $60-100K per year.
• Baby sleep consultants working full-time earn $100-160K+ per year.
• IPSP graduates with their infant sleep consulting certification make, on average, more than what Ziprecruiter and Glassdoor state on a Google search. (Our graduates tend to be in demand because we give them a more complete and up-to-date education than competing schools.)

Are Baby and Child Sleep Consultants in Demand?

Yes! If you’ve selected this as your future career, you’ve made a great choice. 

Globally, women experience 140 million births. That’s a lot of newborns ––  and a lot of parents who may be left to their own devices when it comes to a baby who may not sleep well.

As a result, baby sleep services are more in demand year on year.

What Qualifications Do You Need to Become a Sleep Consultant?

This is the question you’ve been wondering about: how exactly do you become a sleep consultant? Do you need certain hard-to-obtain credentials before starting your education?

While this depends upon the school, at IPSP we require an application. We also feel it is a big boost if you have a love and passion for helping babies sleep…and ensuring a better life for their entire family.

You do not need specific prior education to begin the course, however. Apply now and get started!

How Much Does it Cost to Become a Sleep Consultant?

The best way to find this out is to make sure the school you choose has no hidden costs.

In our research we have found sleep consulting programs that cost just a few hundred dollars. Unfortunately, upon investigation, we found that they usually had added “surprises students don’t want ––  like fees to unlock various parts of the program.

Cut-rate programs may also utilize copy-and-pasted information from other programs, outdated information, and/or incomplete classes. 

So, our advice? Rule out the most expensive and least expensive baby sleep consulting schools. You may not be getting a bargain either way ––  and you could be stuck with a bill and an incomplete education.

The bottom line? For a complete, expert-taught program, expect to spend between $3500 and $4500. 

(Note: choose a school with a payment plan so you can space your tuition out over a period of time. For instance, IPSP has three different plans to fit your budget.)

How Can You Find an Accredited Sleep Consultant Program?

Unfortunately, there is no government-recognized organization that issues accreditation for a sleep consultant program.

So the answer to whether there are any accredited sleep consultant programs is that no, currently there is NO accreditation for ANY baby sleep consultant school.

This is important to know because if a school offers “accreditation,” it’s a red flag. They could actually be a diploma mill. Be careful of such claims, because this practice is illegal.

For detailed information on this illegal practice, check our article here.

The Bottom Line on Becoming a Sleep Consultant

Yes, you’ll need to study in order to become a certified baby sleep consultant. And of course you’ll want to pick a great school with a great reputation. The payoff? An amazing career where you can choose your own hours and the income is, for the average graduate, above the national mean.

Now that you know how to become a sleep consultant (step by step), choose a school that offers the flexibility to allow you to live your life in the meantime. Many of our students at IPSP have jobs, families, or other obligations. They love that they can take our course on their own time.

After you complete the program and receive your baby sleep certification, you can begin working right away, depending upon how quickly you get clients. We’re here to help with that too.  Check out our Graduates page and website for more information. 

Ready to get started on your rewarding career as a baby sleep consultant? Apply right now! We respond to applications within 24 hours!