What does a sleep consultant do?
Maybe you’re curious about getting help from a sleep consultant to resolve your little one’s sleep problems, or maybe you’re interested in becoming a sleep consultant yourself! In this episode, I’m going to share with you, exactly what a sleep consultant DOES….
The first thing a sleep consultant does is take a detailed account of the situation including the history, the environment, the specific challenges and really importantly, the little one’s character.
All of this will allow the consultant to get their investigative head on and to determine the most appropriate plan of action for the family because every family, child and situation is unique.
A sleep consultant will usually then hold a consultation with the parents to ask any additional questions and talk through the plan making sure the parents know exactly what they need to do.
Depending on the level of service being offered by the consultant, their job after this typically involves some sort of follow-up support which can be provided in a number of ways, be that telephone or Zoom calls, emails or a support group, the idea is that the client is coached to their end goals with their little one’s sleep.
A sleep consultant holds the client accountable. Without this expert to report back to, a client might slip backwards or not follow through on their plans but, like most things, when there is someone to answer to, you stay on track.
Babies and children are not robots and it’s likely they won’t fall exactly into our ideal plan, so a sleep consultant will guide you through the twists and turns and the curve balls that a little one throws at you.
Even the best laid plan may need to evolve as a family works through it with their child. Sometimes, the best approach at the start of the sleep training is not the best approach a little further along the line.
A sleep consultant will spot this kind of thing and steer you accordingly if your child shows signs of needing a different approach to move forward with progress.
There are some things that a sleep consultant is not supposed to do. For example, a sleep consultant does not treat the baby or child directly. The role is providing advice and guidance and coaching the parents, the parents are the ones to then implement the plan with their child.
A sleep consultant is not a medical advisor, they’re providing behavioural based information to resolve behavioural based sleep disorders.
The sleep consultant doesn’t solve the problem, they provide the insights and expertise to enable the parents to solve the problem. This is far more beneficial too because the parents can then stay on a healthy sleep path with their child for the long term.
Hiring a sleep consultant is a smart move for any family who aren’t getting the sleep they need for a healthy life. The expertise you’re hiring is worth it for your family’s sanity, well-being and happiness and your child’s long term health and success. All of which will suffer if you waste time hoping to ride it out or figure it out – it’s a complex subject.
It‘ll also provide a level of commitment that gets parents to achieve their goals, much like hiring a personal trainer commits you to your fitness goals. When you pay, you pay attention!
Most people who work with a sleep consultant will tell you that it was the best money ever spent, that it gave them their lives back and gave their little one the best start in life. It’s a team effort to get those results, the sleep consultant and the parents working together.
But those transformations, when you see a mum suffering with depression and you know you contributed to bringing out of that, when see families on the brink of breaking down, close to divorce and your intervention brings them back together and when you see a miserable, clingy exhausted little one turn into a happy, sociable and thriving little joy, it really is the most rewarding role in the world!
Do you ever wonder if you could become a sleep consultant? We’ve created a free 2-part training to get you started and you can grab your place on this training today! Tap this right here, and explore the world of sleep consulting if you can see yourself in this role with your own business!
