How to Become a 6-Figure Sleep Coach (Top Certifications)

Want to become a sleep coach but don’t know where to start?

You’re in the right place. 

Today, I’ll share the exact steps you need to take to build a successful sleep coaching business so you can transform your clients’ lives and leave your 9-5. 

Plus, I’ll tell you the best sleep coach certification programs if you want to get certified. 

Ready to go? Let’s dive in!

Key takeaways:

• Sleep coaching is a fulfilling and profitable coaching niche.
• You can get a sleep coaching certification, but the transformation you offer matters the most. 
• On average, sleep coaches in the U.S. earn $76,701 per year. But if you start your own sleep coaching business, you can earn A LOT more. 

What is a sleep coach?

A sleep coach helps clients to improve their sleep quality.

In this role, you could work with babies, children, or adults – depending on your training.  

With over 50 million American adults suffering from sleep disorders, and 20% of children struggling with sleep, coaches are clearly needed. 

Now, one popular question here is… 

What’s the difference between a sleep coach and a sleep consultant?

Well, it’s pretty small. 

Coaches provide support, accountability, and guidance, whereas consultants offer defined techniques to help clients improve their sleep.

My coaching philosophy combines both – I call it “coach-sulting.” 

That way, you’re giving your client both a blueprint for success (consulting) while supporting and empowering your clients to achieve their goals (coaching).  

What does a sleep coach do? 

So what does sleep coaching actually involve?

As a sleep coach, you’ll help clients tackle their sleep struggles using scientific methods and support.

In a nutshell, as a sleep coach, your job is to: 

• Assess sleep habits and problems: Helping your clients get to the root of their sleep issues.
• Analyze client sleep diaries: Encouraging your clients to track their sleep and interpreting their results. 
• Develop a personalized sleep plan: Creating a path for improving your clients’ sleep using multiple techniques and scientific approaches. 
• Educate on sleep hygiene: Helping your clients understand sleep cycles and better sleep practices. 
• Offer long-term support: Supporting clients through the ups and downs of regulating their sleep. 

Your work will differ depending on the age of your clients.

For example, a pediatric sleep coach will help parents understand sleep training techniques and personalize the approach to suit the family’s needs. 

Whereas a sleep disorder coach will focus on holistic approaches to help sufferers manage their symptoms. 

But we’ll talk more about niches soon. 

For now, let’s dive into how to become a sleep coach.

How to become a sleep coach in 5 steps 

Here’s the thing: 

Starting your own business is a challenge, but it’s not super complicated. 

In fact, coaching is one of the most fulfilling, lucrative, and straightforward business models.

To become a sleep coach, you need to: 

• Find a niche
• Get certified
• Create and price a coaching package
• Get your first clients
• Work with your clients

Let’s unpack each step in detail…

1. Find a niche 

The first thing you need to do is narrow down your niche. 

Yes, sleep coaching is a niche in itself. But to stand out, try taking it a step further. 

Think about:

• Who do you want to help?
• What goal do you help them achieve?
• How do you help them?

Your niche combines all of those three answers. 

For example, some common sleep coach niches include:

• Baby and toddler
• Pregnancy
• Teens
• Sleep disorders
• Burnout
• Insomnia
• Mental health disorders

Of course, some of these require more training or qualifications than others. 

If you have a background in therapy, you’re a good candidate for coaching clients with depression. Likewise, to become a baby or toddler sleep coach, you’ll need a background in childcare. 

To make finding your niche even simpler, complete this sentence: 

I help ____ to ____ by _____. 

And there you have it! You’ve defined your niche in one sentence.

More on how to do that in this video:

Now, on to the next step: Getting certified. 

2. Get certified  

The good news is…

There are no regulatory requirements to practice sleep coaching. 

That means you don’t need a certification to be successful. 

I’ve been coaching for 10 years and don’t have a certification. 

But what I do have is experience and a track record of helping clients achieve results – that’s what clients really care about. 

That said, a sleep coach certification can help you gain credibility and build a good foundation in your practice. 

We’ll discuss the best sleep coach certifications in a bit. But, for now, remember this: 

A certification is only worth it if it comes from a reputable school. 

3. Create and price a coaching package

Your next step is to create a coaching package.

But how exactly do you figure out how to structure and price your package? 

My advice? Keep it simple. 

Start with a three-month coaching package for $1,500. 

In those three months, you should include bi-weekly or weekly coaching calls to make consistent progress. 

You can offer email, Voxer, WhatsApp, or text support in between calls to make your clients feel even more supported. 

And once you’ve honed your skills and earned good testimonials, THEN you can raise your prices. 

But in the beginning, you want to enter the market at a slightly lower rate to get your first clients and start to build your reputation. 

This is the strategy I used to start my coaching business, which ultimately led me to leave my corporate job in less than one year.   

Want to design your first coaching package in just 10 minutes? Then check out this video:

4. Get your first clients

Now you’ve designed your package, it’s time to find clients and start selling. 

First, you’ll want to avoid the tasks that seem important but ultimately waste your time. 

I’m talking about building a website, creating logos, and buying ads. 

I built my business to over six figures before ever investing in a website. 

Why?

Because it’s a distraction. 

As a new coach, your ONLY task is to get in front of prospective clients. 

And to do this, you’ll need to start small. 

Here are the three go-to techniques I recommend to my students: 

• Reach out to your network for referrals (this can include colleagues, family, and friends)
• Post consistently on social media and build a relationship with your audience
• Guest host on industry podcasts to help you advertise your services to an established audience  

In fact, I reached out to many publications and podcasts to get my name out there early on in my business…

💡 Tip: In the beginning, you only need one or two clients to make your sleep coaching business a success. 

I’ll tell you why in this video: 

Once you’ve booked your first clients, it’s time to wow them with your service. 

We’ll talk about that next.

5. Work with your clients

To be a good sleep coach, you need to help your clients achieve better sleep. 

That transformation is why your clients hire you. 

Here’s how to do it: 

• Step 1: Identify your client’s sleep difficulties and goals.
• Step 2: Create a path to achieving that goal with smaller goals. 
• Step 3: Define each milestone you’ll tackle each month.
• Step 4: Track your client’s progress.

Guiding your clients through this process means delivering powerful coaching sessions. 

In these sessions, you’ll want to: 

• Recap your past progress (or details from the sales call if it’s the first session)
• Set a goal for the session
• Discuss any challenges 
• Suggest solutions
• Provide a vision for success
• Set homework for the next session

With this structure, and a reliable set of coaching questions, you’ll guide and support your clients to end their sleepless nights

So there you go – that’s how to become a sleep coach. Now, let’s check out the best certifications.

6 best sleep coaching certification programs 

While you don’t need a sleep coach certification, getting one can help boost your credibility and hone your skills. 

But first, you need to choose the right one. 

Let me share some tips… 

How to choose a certification

Choosing the right sleep coach certification for you is crucial. 

To do this, think about your career goals and what you want to learn. 

Here are some key things to consider:

• Delivery: Is the course delivered online or in person? And if it’s online, can you study at your own pace or is the program delivered live? Choose what would work with your schedule. 
• Accreditation: Even though the coaching industry is unregulated, there are some reputable bodies in the sleep coaching world such as the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants and the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants.
• Curriculum: There are a variety of sleep coach certifications available, so choose one that focuses on what you want to learn. 
• Cost: The cost of a sleep coach certification varies from $400 to $4,000. I recommend avoiding free courses – they usually aren’t worth your time.

Now you know how to choose one, let’s dive into the best sleep coach certifications on the market. 

(Disclaimer: I haven’t taken any of these certification programs myself. I’m recommending them based on their reputation and reviews. Ensure you do thorough research before choosing the right certification for you.)

1. Special Needs Sleep Certification™

Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting 

If you’re interested in helping children with special needs improve their sleep, the Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting Special Needs Sleep Certification could be a great program for you. 

You’ll learn scientific sleep strategies tailored to special needs children, as well as how to support parents to help their children succeed. 

The curriculum covers a variety of conditions such as ADHD, autism, OCD, sensory processing disorder, and anxiety disorders.

Delivery: Online

Accreditation: Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting, International Association of Child Sleep Consultants

Requirements: None

Duration: Self-paced

Price: $550

2. Integrative Adult Sleep Coach Certification 

The International Parenting & Health Institute 

The International Parenting & Health Institute’s Integrative Adult Sleep Coach Certification offers a comprehensive curriculum for those who want to support adults with sleep struggles. 

It covers a wide range of topics, including sleep strategies, coaching techniques, and coaching business fundamentals. You can choose to take the course in 10 weekly group mentoring sessions, with each session lasting 1.5 hours, or self-paced with 19 in-depth modules.

Delivery: Online

Accreditation: International Parenting & Health Institute, Association of Professional Sleep Consultants

Requirements: None

Duration: Self-paced or 10 weeks live online

Price: $1,495 for self study course, $1,800 for live online course (often discounted) 

3. Sleep Science Coach Certification 

Spencer Institute 

Want a deep dive into sleep science? The Spencer Institute Certification could be for you. 

This program focuses more on the scientific intricacies of sleep, including metabolism, hormone balance, immune function, energy management, and more. It also covers the nuances of sleep for adults, children, students, athletes, and neurodivergent people. 

By studying the physiology of sleep, you can create personalized packages for a wide range of clients. 

Delivery: Online

Accreditation: Accreditation Board of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP)

Requirements: None

Duration: Self-paced

Price: $447

4. Get Better Sleep Now 

Transformation Academy

Though this is not an accredited certification program, the Transformation Academy Get Better Sleep Now course is a quick guide to the fundamentals of sleep hygiene. 

The course covers topics like sleep patterns, circadian rhythms, and lifestyle habits for better sleep. Plus, it has multiple excellent reviews from people who have used the principles to improve their own sleep quality, making it a good refresher of basic sleep science. 

The course materials amount to under two hours of online content, so you can easily fit the program around your schedule.

Delivery: Online

Accreditation: None

Requirements: None

Duration: Self-paced

Price: $34.95

5. CPSM Sleep Consultant Certification

Center for Pediatric Sleep Management (CPSM) 

The Center for Pediatric Sleep Management’s (CPSM) Sleep Consultant Certification gives you all the tools you need to build a successful sleep coaching business for families. 

After taking the program, you’ll be able to create personalized age-appropriate sleep plans for children and adapt your guidance to different parenting styles. 

Its detailed look at sleep training and parenting philosophy is why this is one of the best sleep coach certifications for aspiring pediatric sleep coaches. You’ll also benefit from ongoing mentorship and education from the CPSM to keep your skills sharp.  

Delivery: Online

Accreditation: Center for Pediatric Sleep Management

Requirements: None

Duration: Self-paced

Price: $2,700

6. Sleep Consultant Program

Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting (IPSP)

The IPSP Sleep Consultant Program helps you learn expert-level sleep coaching. 

Built by medical and business experts, this course covers more than just the science of sleep. You’ll also get a crash course in booking clients and running a profitable business. 

Altogether, there are 105 lessons taught over eight units, and you can complete all of them at your own pace. 

You can also access the course director, Violet Giannone, R.N., for extra guidance during working hours. As a registered nurse and active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Violet is a reputable expert in the pediatric sleep field.

Delivery: Online

Accreditation: Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting, International Association of Child Sleep Consultants

Requirements: None

Duration: Self-paced

Price: $3,700

Those are the top certifications, now let’s cover how much sleep coaches can earn.

How much does a sleep coach make?

Do sleep coaches make a good salary? 

Yes! According to Glassdoor, sleep coaches make an average of $76,701 per year.

That said, how much you make depends on you. If you market your services to clients who really value your work, you can make a LOT more. 

Why? Because you set your own rates.

I’ve coached several coaches who now make six or multiple six figures. 

And if you follow the steps and deliver great results, you can do that too. 

👋 High five to that 👋

Frequently asked questions about sleep coaching 

What qualifications do you need to be a sleep coach?

You don’t need any official qualifications to become a sleep coach. If you have a psychology, therapy, or medical background, you have a good foundation to start sleep coaching straight away. However, you can take a sleep coach certification if you want some extra credibility.

How much does it cost to become a sleep coach?

Setting up a sleep coaching business doesn’t cost much. In fact, you can market your business for free in the beginning. All you need is a way to deliver your coaching sessions.

If you choose to take a sleep coach certification, you can expect to spend between $400 and $4,000, depending on the program.

How do you start a sleep coaching business? 

To start your sleep coaching business, all you need is a target audience, a coaching package, and a solid marketing strategy. 

Most sleep coaches don’t have certifications. So if you have the experience to help clients improve their sleep, you can get started right away. 

If you do want to take a sleep coach certification, do this before you set up your business so you can use it in your marketing.

Next steps 

And there you have it – that’s how to become a sleep coach! 

While taking a sleep coach certification can boost your credibility, remember you don’t need one. 

If you have the experience and knowledge to create results for your clients, you can have a successful, fulfilling, lucrative career as a sleep coach. 

Want to know how? 

Then check out my FREE blueprint on how to build a six-figure business. You can grab it below.

Read more: 

What Makes a Great Coach?

How to Scale Your Coaching Business

How to Become a Stress Management Coach

Checklist for Starting Your Coaching Business