Are you desperately trying to find a solution to getting your baby to sleep better at night? Do you feel trapped in a vicious circle of exhaustion, anxiety, and stress where your evenings and nights feel ruined by endless attempts to get your child to fall asleep or stay asleep for longer? Or maybe you're trying to transition your baby into their own cot after months of nightly breastfeeding or co-sleeping?
Whatever problems you’re having around your child’s sleep, please know this, you’re not alone. There will be hundreds, if not thousands of families around the country in a really similar boat to you. I know that doesn’t take away just how difficult it can be when you’re not getting the sleep you need.
It’s not helped by the fact that the subject of sleep is so polarised. And that everyone seems to think that what worked for them will work for everyone else. If only!
So if you feel like you've tried everything and you’re getting overwhelmed and (understandably) frustrated, working with a Sleep Consultant might be the answer.
But with so many Sleep Trainers and sleep training methods out there, how do you know how to find the right Sleep Consultant for your baby, your family, and your own, unique situation?
Let's delve into this a little more!
What is a Sleep Coach?
A Sleep Coach is someone who provides advice and education about sleep. In a nutshell, they are someone who can support you and your child to become the best sleeper they can be.
Typically, a Sleep Coach supports families just like yours to create an individual pathway for you and your baby to achieve better sleep. They usually do this through individual consultations (online or in person) and even overnight sleep visits.
If you've been living under a cloud of exhaustion, working with a Sleep Coach could help you improve your child's (and your own) sleep. It’s no wonder so many parents seek out the help of a Sleep Coach, because once they do, they feel like a weight has been lifted from their shoulders, and the days of Googling and second-guessing are a thing of the past!
What different approaches can a Sleep Coach take?
Not all Children's Sleep Coaches work in the same way. There are different approaches a Sleep Coach or Sleep Consultant can take. And it's important to remember there's no right or wrong here - it's all about what works for you and your family.
Here are a few methods you may have come across during your research or from speaking with other parents:
Gentle sleep coaching
Gentle sleep coaching methods generally involve changing the way you help your child settle, and taking a gradual approach to the change. A Gentle sleep coach shouldn't suggest any methods that involve leaving your child while they are crying. The idea is that you (the parent) are present and available to support your child as they settle through holding, rocking etc if needed.
Stricter routines, such as the Cry It Out method
A stricter approach may involve leaving your child to 'cry it out'. This is also sometimes referred to as the 'extinction method', ‘Ferber’ or 'controlled crying'. It's a sleeping technique that involves putting your baby into their cot fully awake and allowing them to fuss or cry until they fall asleep without any assistance or intervention from you.
Holistic sleep coaching
This is an approach that looks at the whole picture and considers all members of the family. Holistic sleep coaching helps you lay the foundations for improved sleep for both you and the baby (and the rest of the family).
A Holistic Sleep Coach won't simply focus on changing how you respond to and settle your child to sleep. A Holistic Sleep Coach will look at the whole picture and help you identify the underlying causes of your child's sleep challenges. With this understanding of your child's sleep, you'll be able to optimise sleep without making any big changes to how you respond to your child at night.
If you'd like to introduce a new settling method, or perhaps transition from co-sleeping, a Holistic Sleep Coach will help you consider your child's temperament, your parenting style and your family dynamic when talking through the pathway you can take to reach your goals.
A Holistic Sleep Coach will use gentle sleep coaching methods and will not use Cry It Out methods in their sleep plans. This approach will be bespoke and tailored to your needs. The end goal is to create a sleep routine that is achievable for your unique situation and goals.
The method you choose depends entirely on your personality, temperament, objectives, and individual family circumstances. And these will also include your work patterns (yours and your partner's) and take into account any other children in the family.
My approach to sleep training as a Holistic Sleep Coach
There is a huge spectrum in how people feel about nighttime parenting. The spectrum ranges from 'be a martyr - feed on demand throughout the night and co-sleep until your child is ready to stop' to 'sleep in a separate room, go cold turkey with night feeds and minimise your response in the night'. Then, of course, everything in-between!
I am a Holistic Sleep Coach, and my approach sits in the middle of the spectrum between completely child-led parenting, and stricter routines, such as controlled crying.
Most parents who I work with are at the stage where they need to make changes to settling and sleep routines. However, they definitely don't want to do anything that could affect attachment or bonding.
By working with you and your family, we come up with a plan for better sleep that meets your own individual needs as a family. My job is to support both you - the parents - and the baby in a calm, reassuring, and non-judgemental way. At the end of my time working with you, I want you to feel reassured and confident you have the right knowledge and tools to move forward positively.
Together, we look at your baby's temperament and existing sleep habits as well as any methods you may have already tried in the past, and come up with a way forward to help you achieve improvements that feel sustainable.
I do not personally advocate for the ‘cry it out’ method, but there’s no judgement here if you’ve tried this in the past. My philosophy is no judgement, I’m here to support you and find ways that will help both you and baby sleep.
How much do Sleep Coaches cost?
Prices for Sleep Coaches and consultants vary quite drastically. They depend not only on the type of method you choose but also on the location, the age of your child, the time a Sleep Coach will spend in your home with you (especially if they offer overnight help), and the level of support you might want or need. For example, an online Sleep Coach who only carries out consultations through video or email will cost less than an in-person one.
You could expect to spend as little as £45-£50 for a one-hour, trouble-shooting virtual consultation to anything around £300-£350 for an in-depth, in-person sleep consultation in your own home, followed by a training plan. And this could also vary if you have twins (or would like help with more than one child in your family) or whether you'd like ongoing support past the initial meeting. Most sleep consultants offer a package that includes a set number of follow-up calls after the initial consultation (typically 2-6 calls). These packages can be upwards of £600.
Personally, I offer different sleeping packages, depending on the age of your child. All my packages include a holistic analysis of your child's sleep prior to working with me and a Zoom consultation (which varies in length depending on the package you choose) that will be recorded for you to keep.
My current packages and prices are as follows:
Young baby sleep shaper, for babies from birth to 5 months - £140.
Silver package for children aged 7 months - 8 years. This is a 1 hour trouble shooting consultation, with a 15 minute follow up call. ideal for blips or isolated challenges such as bedtime resistance or early morning waking - £120.
Gold package for babies aged 6+ months and children up to the age of 8 years old - £395. In addition to what's included in the previous package, this service also gives you a longer initial consultation plus limitless Zoom or telephone consultations. I also offer daily WhatsApp support with me for one month.
Platinum package for children aged 7-24 months - £2,245. This price includes 72 hours of home visits plus 1 month of unlimited support with me.
You can find more information about what's included in each package here.
How much support do you need?
As you can see from my own packages, Sleep Coaches can offer different support levels. And these will always vary depending on your needs and your budget.
Some coaches or consultants may only offer you a one-off initial consultation with the view to making a plan for you to follow independently. Others, like myself, will offer follow-up calls and regular support over a period of time. For me, this varies, depending on the package you choose.
My Gold package comes with a month of support as standard. For most families, this is enough time to reach their sleep goals and feel confident about how they can help their child sleep well going forward. As peace of mind, I offer Gold customers top-up support at a discounted rate so that they always have help at hand if they hit a blip after travelling etc, or if they need a little more time with me at the end of the month.
Of course, the level of support you choose is entirely up to you. It will be determined by your child’s sleeping habits, your existing circumstances, and your long-term objectives for hiring a Sleep Coach.
Does a Sleep Coach need to have accreditation in sleep training or coaching?
Unfortunately, the sleep coaching industry is not regulated and not all Sleep Coaches have specific training. Education and accreditation are important factors, so make sure you check someone's credentials before hiring them.
While I can't speak for other Sleep Coaches and consultants, I believe accreditation is crucial. For this reason, I have undertaken a wide range of training. These include:
Holistic sleep coaching.
Sleep in children and sleep training.
Specialist training, such as sleep and autism, nutrition and sleep, and sleep in children with brain conditions amongst others.
You can read more about the details of my training and accreditations here.
Are testimonials important when choosing a Sleep Coach?
I would definitely recommend you check any available testimonials and reviews before hiring a Sleep Coach. This will give you the reassurance that the Sleep Coach you're planning to hire has the relevant experience. You want to see they have worked with other families in similar situations. But you also want to get an idea of what type of person they are, what methods or beliefs they follow (if any), and what it's like to work with them.
When scanning through testimonials, look for specific results. What did the Sleep Coach help the family achieve? Also, look out for words and phrases that ring true to you. Is there anything you find relatable? Does it speak to your own personal ciachievedrcumstances?
It goes without saying that every child and family is unique. But if the Sleep Coach you are researching has results for people in similar situations, you'll know there's a good chance they'll work well for you, too.
If you're interested, I have a dedicated area on my website for Testimonials, where you can read the kind words some of my clients shared.
What's the perfect age to hire a Sleep Coach?
There's no specific age for hiring a Sleep Coach. However, before hiring someone, make sure that the Sleep Coach you are researching has lots of experience of the age group your child falls into. Some Sleep Coaches only specialise in babies. Others (like myself) will also work with older children. My Gold and Silver packages, for example, are perfect for children over the age of 6 months and up to 8 years old.
In particular, I tend to work with a lot of families of toddlers who have co-slept with their parents and are now looking to transition to their own beds. So if this is your situation, make sure the Sleep Coach you choose can cater to your specific circumstances.
When should you NOT hire a Sleep Coach?
You can hire a Sleep Coach at any time, but if your child is unwell, they are probably going to need you more at night, and will probably struggle to cope with any changes that you put in place. So, I would always say to wait until you're happy that your child is fit and healthy before you start.
Ideally, you’d also be at home for 3-4 weeks with your baby or child to implement a new sleep approach.
However, I understand that this can be tricky, so I work flexibly with my clients on this. For example, if you’re planning a holiday and book my Gold package you can get started on the initial consultation and then pause your follow-up support until you’re home.
This means you can start to implement some of my simpler recommendations straight away and maybe even start seeing results, without having to wait until you have a solid 3-4 week period of no travel.
And if you’re not sure whether the timing is right for you, don’t hesitate to contact me and ask. I’ll always be honest about the timings of sleep coaching and whether or not it’s right for you right now.
Would you like some help?
If you're currently in the thick of sleep deprivation, you feel you've tried everything, and are at the end of your tether, I want you to know that there's light at the end of the tunnel! As a Holistic Sleep Coach, I can help you achieve peaceful and improved sleep - for your child, yourself, and the whole family.
If you'd like to find out how I can help, please get in touch by arranging a call or sending me an email. I'd love to hear your sleep story and help you improve your child's sleep.
Hi! I’m Louise…
You can find out more about my services here: