Which Sleep Consultant to hire

Sleep training is an unregulated field. Anyone can call themself a sleep consultant. Many moms are "sleep consultants" after sleep training their first child.

"So how do I choose the perfect sleep consultant?"

I would want someone who meets these three criteria:

1) What are their credentials?

There are 2 levels of credential for hiring a sleep consultant.

Level one: A mother who enjoyed sleep training their child and perhaps takes one of the many unregulated sleep training courses. Just like anyone can call themself a "sleep consultant", anyone can also create a course and give/obtain a "certificate" for sleep consulting. Don't get me wrong, being a "certified" sleep trainer is definitely a great start to learn about the field but it doesn't really prove anything. 

Level two: A trained medical professional. Although sleep training is not directly within the field of applied medicine, health and safety of children is most definitely within the field. Medical professionals spend years caring for patients and their parents. Who could possibly be more trusted than a trained medical professional to care for you and your children? 

2) Experience is key.

As a doctor, I know when anyone in my family requires a medical procedure I don't just want an old experienced doctor to complete the case. I want someone who does the exact procedure needed multiple times a day.  Similarly, I would only hire someone who has successfully sleep trained many children. 

3) Money back guarantee.

Everyone knows you can fully trust everything on Google right? Wrong! At minimum your sleep trainer should be confident enough in their coaching ability to offer you a money back guarantee if you don't like the service. 

There are so many scary firsts as a parent. Confirming these 3 criteria before hiring a sleep consultant will help make sure you hire the perfect sleep consultant.