Sleep Consultant, Parent Coach, and Newborn Care Specialist Training for Women Who Want Their Time Back
Hey, I'm Marli.
I spent 13 years climbing the corporate ladder. I made it to HR director. And I was missing my kids' whole lives to do it.
I kept thinking there had to be a better way. A way to earn a real income without handing over every good hour of my day to someone else's priorities.
There was. And it started with helping families sleep.
Marli Klaus
Owner & Lead Instructor, The Cradle Coach Academy
From Corporate Burnout to a Business Built Around My Family
After leaving corporate, I built my own sleep consulting business. And then in 2023, I had the opportunity to take over The Cradle Coach and The Cradle Coach Academy. Our team at The Cradle Coach has worked with over 5,000 families in the last 12 years.
Somewhere along the way I realized something. So many women want exactly what I wanted. Flexibility. Purpose. An income that doesn't cost them their family.
That's why I lead The Cradle Coach Academy. We train women to become pediatric sleep consultants, parent coaches, and newborn care specialists, and to build careers around the families they love.
Who Our Programs Are For
Our students are moms, nurses, teachers, doulas, nannies, and occupational therapists. Some come with a background in child development or healthcare. Plenty don't. None of our programs require a medical degree or prior experience.
Others already run a family-focused business, like doulas, coaches, and sleep consultants, and want to add new services for the families they serve.
What they all have in common? They're done with the 8-to-5 grind. They want to help families through some of the hardest, sweetest seasons of life. And they want to be present for their own.
Our Programs
Pediatric Sleep Consultant Certification (APSC—International Association for Professional Sleep Consultants—Approved)
Our flagship program. Learn to help families with children from newborn to 7 years old get the sleep they need. You'll train through step-by-step video lessons and a hands-on practicum with 5 volunteer families, so you graduate with real experience. Then our business training walks you through launching, landing your first clients, and growing without burning out.
Parent Coach Certification
Learn to help parents build stronger connections with their kids, set healthy structure and boundaries, create emotional safety at home, and stay calm through challenging behavior. The program is self-paced (most students finish in about 6 weeks) and includes 12 months of community support and monthly live Q&A calls with instructor Lori Steele-Starr.
Newborn Care Specialist Training (NCSA-Approved)
Get foundational training approved by the Newborn Care Specialist Association in newborn care, feeding, sleep and safety, multiples and prematurity, professional practice, and business. It's about 14 hours of self-paced training, followed by a final exam and a Certificate of Completion from The Cradle Coach Academy. Graduates work day shifts, overnights, live-in roles, with agencies, or in their own businesses.
Meet Your Instructors
Marli Klaus
Owner and Lead Instructor
Marli holds a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Psychology and completed pre-med coursework in advanced biology and chemistry. She is a triple-certified pediatric sleep consultant (CPSM—Center for Pediatric Sleep Management, TCCA, and Sleep Health Institute), a former corporate HR director, and a mom of three. She owns The Cradle Coach, whose team has worked with over 5,000 families in the last 12 years, and The Cradle Coach Academy.
Lori Steele-Starr
Parent Coach Certification Instructor
An early childhood educator with nearly 30 years of experience, a certified sleep coach, and a parenting coach who built her own successful parent coaching business. She's also a professional speaker, an advocate for play and safe, healthy childhoods, and a mom of two adopted sons.
Marilyn Banse
Newborn Care Specialist Program
Certified Newborn Care Specialist, Certified Lactation Consultant, and Certified Sleep Consultant. She completed The Cradle Coach Academy's Baby and Toddler Sleep Course in 2018 and has since worked with families across the US and internationally. With hands-on experience spanning newborn care, lactation, and sleep, she helped create our Newborn Care Specialist program.
Anna Rodney
Newborn Care Specialist Program
The owner and founder of Chicago Family Doulas, one of the largest doula agencies in the US. She has supported families as a doula since 2009 and trains other doulas in professional, compassionate care. Her experience running an agency and educating doulas shaped the practical, real-world approach of our Newborn Care Specialist program.
Specialist Faculty and Expert Contributors
Our sleep consultant curriculum includes modules created by pediatric medical and child development experts. Every student completes these modules as part of their training.
Dr. Sujay Kansagra, MD
Professor of Pediatrics and Child Neurology, Duke University
Director of the Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program at Duke University.
Dr. Anya McLaren-Barnett, MD
Pediatric Respirologist & Sleep Medicine Physician
McMaster Children's Hospital.
Dr. Uma Khusnutdinova, MD, IBCLC
Physician & International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Certified sleep consultant and founder of Little Pumpkin Sleep Solutions.
Katy Bourzikas, MSN, APRN, CPNP, CLC
Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner & Lactation Counselor
Founder of Well Rested Wee Ones.
Kerri D'Amico, RN, IBCLC
Neonatal & Postpartum Nurse
Assistant Clinical Manager at Jupiter Medical Center.
Caley Kukla, M.Ed.
Early Childhood Educator
Specializing in child development and behavior.
Jessica Royston
Holistic Health Coach
Specializing in postpartum wellness.
Karen Winter
Toddler & Preschool Sleep Specialist
Student mentor.
Rachel Fiorello
Pediatric Sleep Consultant
With The Cradle Coach for over 10 years and student mentor.
At a Glance
Pediatric Sleep Consultant Certification (APSC—International Association for Professional Sleep Consultants—approved), Parent Coach Certification, Newborn Care Specialist Training (NCSA-approved), International Institute of Complementary Therapists (IICT) approved
1,000+ trained across all programs
Online and self-paced, with mentorship and support
Newborn to 7 years
None other than a desire to support families and a willingness to learn
Marli Klaus, B.S. in Biology, triple-certified pediatric sleep consultant, and owner of The Cradle Coach and The Cradle Coach Academy
Moms, nurses, teachers, doulas, nannies, coaches, and career changers who want a flexible business supporting families
Student Stories
Yusra
Finally Asleep Sleep Consulting
Sleep Consultant Graduate
"I earned my investment back in just a month and served over 100 families."
Nicole
Balanced Sleep Co.
Sleep Consultant and Newborn Care Specialist Graduate
"We have helped 40 families so far since launching in July. The newborn care specialist course helped me understand the complex needs of newborns, and how flexible you can be in shaping their sleep."
Amber
Postpartum Bliss
Sleep Consultant and Newborn Care Specialist Graduate
"The newborn care course really helped elevate my postpartum doula business as I added overnight support to my list of services. I am also currently taking the Sleep Consultant course. I have nothing but positive things to say about these trainings!"
Still Have Questions?
Submit your questions here and our team will get back to you quickly.
Have Questions About Enrollment?
Submit your question below and our team will reach out directly.