Frequently Asked Questions

A pediatric sleep consultant helps families solve sleep challenges for babies and children. They gather information about the child's sleep, identify the root cause of the problem, build a personalized sleep plan, and support the family as they put it into practice. Sleep consultants educate and guide families. They do not diagnose or treat medical conditions, and they refer families to healthcare providers when needed.

Yes. Exhausted parents are highly motivated to solve sleep problems, and many are willing to invest in expert, personalized help. The Cradle Coach team alone has worked with over 5,000 families in the last 12 years. Many families also find sleep consultants through referrals from pediatricians, doulas, lactation consultants, and friends who've worked with one.

No. Our program teaches multiple sleep approaches, from very responsive methods to more structured ones, so you can match each plan to the child's temperament and the parents' philosophy. Every family is different, and our graduates learn to create plans that families feel comfortable following.

Our sleep consultant certification prepares you to support families with children from newborn to 7 years old. Many graduates later choose to specialize in a specific age range, such as newborns, toddlers, or preschoolers.

Students receive evidence-based sleep education, 18 assignments with detailed feedback, a practicum with 5 volunteer families, unlimited mentor reviews of practicum sleep plans, business training, and lifetime access to the program and community. See the full curriculum on our Program Breakdown page.

The program is self-paced. Most students complete it in about 12 weeks, some finish faster, and others take longer to fit it around work and family. Because you have lifetime access, you decide the pace. Most students spend 5 to 10 hours per week on coursework.

Yes. Every student completes 5 volunteer family cases before graduating. A mentor reviews every sleep plan and helps you refine it as many times as needed before it's shared with a family, so you graduate with real-world experience already behind you.

Students have access to weekly office hours with Marli, bi-weekly Q&A calls with Rachel, monthly business mentorship sessions, community support Monday through Friday, two dedicated practicum mentors, and quarterly continuing education. Support continues after graduation through lifetime graduate community access.

You get lifetime access to the sleep consultant certification program, including all future updates.

Yes. Business training is built into the program. After certification, students move into our 90-Day $5K Sprint, which covers launching your website, setting up payments, pricing your services, and signing your first paying families. Our Scale Without Burnout training then helps you grow consistent income at the pace you choose.

The Sleep Consultant Certification was created by Melissa Perry, founder of The Cradle Coach and The Cradle Coach Academy. Today, the program is directed by owner Marli Klaus, with sleep instructor Rachel Fiorello, who brings 11 years of experience as a pediatric sleep consultant. Together, they regularly update modules to reflect current research and industry best practices. The curriculum has also been expanded with modules from pediatric medical and child development experts, including Dr. Sujay Kansagra of Duke University, toddler and preschool sleep specialist Karen Winter, and a team of physicians, nurses, lactation consultants, and child development specialists.

Yes. Our curriculum is reviewed on an ongoing basis, and modules are updated as research and best practices evolve. Students with lifetime access receive every update at no additional cost, along with continuing education workshops that keep them current throughout their careers.

There is no government license required to work as a sleep consultant, so programs are approved by professional organizations instead. Our sleep consultant certification is approved by the International Association for Professional Sleep Consultants (APSC) and recognized by the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT). Our newborn care specialist training is approved by the Newborn Care Specialist Association (NCSA).

Many programs teach the material and leave students to figure out real client work and business on their own. Our students complete 5 mentored volunteer cases, receive feedback on every assignment, learn multiple sleep approaches instead of just one method, and get business training plus lifetime support. We've trained over 1,000 graduates across our programs, including 600+ certified sleep consultants.

Parent coaching helps parents navigate everyday challenges like behavior, communication, routines, boundaries, and emotional regulation. Unlike therapy, it focuses on practical tools and strategies parents can use right away.

The program is self-paced, and most students finish in about 6 weeks. It includes lifetime access to the course, 12 months of community support, and monthly live Q&A calls with instructor Lori Steele-Starr. Tuition is $997, or two payments of $550.

Yes. Many sleep consultants, doulas, and coaches add parent coaching to support families beyond sleep and to offer workshops, group programs, or ongoing coaching.

If you want to help families solve sleep challenges and build a flexible business, start with the Sleep Consultant Certification. If you want to support parents with behavior and family dynamics, choose Parent Coaching. If you want to provide hands-on newborn care, choose Newborn Care Specialist Training. You can also book a free call with our team to talk through your goals.

Graduates keep lifetime access to the curriculum, continuing education, community support, and mentorship. Certified sleep consultants can also join advanced programs, including our Foster and Adoption Certification and the Momentum mastermind.

Watch our free training, join a free live workshop, or book a call with our team.