When you invest in a Little Dreams franchise, you’re investing in much more than a standalone baby and child sleep course. You’re investing in the knowledge, practical experience, ongoing guidance and personalised support needed to build a business with confidence.
We know that understanding baby sleep is only one part of becoming a successful sleep consultant. You also need to know how to apply that knowledge to individual families, navigate challenging situations, communicate effectively with parents and develop a sustainable business.
That’s why our first-year support plan is designed to take you beyond learning the theory and help you put it into practice, with support from experienced professionals every step of the way.
Baby sleep consultant training – your introductory four-day training programme
Your journey begins with a four-day intensive introduction to sleep, and marketing, combining over 25 hours of taught training with practical exercises.
We cover the foundations of baby and child sleep, including sleep needs at different ages, safer sleep, bedtime techniques, night waking, naps and common reasons for sleep difficulties. We also explore when other issues may be contributing to a problem and when families may need additional professional support.
You’ll learn how to deliver our packages, conduct initial calls and consultations, analyse sleep logs, write personalised sleep plans and support families throughout their journey.
You are also introduced to the basics of marketing which will start you on your journey to understanding what makes a successful sleep consulting business.
Specialist baby sleep training and expert-led professional development
Our training doesn’t stop after the initial 4 days. Firstly, you’ll complete training with The Lullaby Trust and NSPCC, before starting to work with families.
Throughout your first 12 months, you will complete ten further training modules, each followed by an assessment, covering topics such as newborn sleep, the four-month sleep regression, naps, twins and multiples, older children, overnight support and common sleep challenges. You’ll also learn about refresher support for previous clients and how to recognise when a family needs more intensive help.
In addition, our programme includes 6 further modules delivered by external experts. Professor Michael Gradisar explores the research around crying, sleep and attachment theory, while Elizabeth Brierley, an IBCLC-qualified lactation consultant and NICU nurse, delivers a workshop on feeding, recognising potential feeding difficulties and appropriate referral. Michelle Cyril, Neurodivergent NHS Sleep Specialist, provides specialist training on sleep in neurodivergent children and Perinatal Psychotherapist Hannah Worral from Mothering Minds delivers training on perinatal and maternal mental health. Finally, Dr Rowan Wearn, NHS GP, provides training on common childhood illnesses and how these can affect sleep and Dr Biju Krishnan, specialist childhood dentofacial and airway specialist, discusses how sleep can be impacted by craniofacial development and airway health.
This broader learning helps you develop a more rounded understanding of the families you support.
But that’s not all. Our programme also includes modules to support you to grow a successful business, including marketing, social media and SEO, delivered by both the founders and a team of external business experts.
Practical baby sleep consultant training – learning with real families
Knowing the theory is one thing. Applying it to a real family is another.
That’s why our first-year plan includes opportunities to observe client consultations and follow those families’ journeys through their sleep logs over the following weeks.
You’ll also undertake structured practical training with six clients. Four are supported through a start-to-finish shadowing process, with one of the Little Dreams founders observing key elements of the client journey. You’ll then complete two consultations independently, with supervision, throughout the family’s support period.
The founders will review your questionnaires and sleep plans, observe consultations, access sleep logs and oversee the support provided during the two-to-three-week package.
This is a crucial part of the programme: you’re not expected to take everything you’ve learnt and immediately figure out the practicalities alone.
Ongoing mentoring, supervision and feedback for Little Dreams Franchisees
We believe good consultants never stop learning.
Your initial client work is supported by feedback and client evaluations, helping you understand what you’re doing well and where further development may be beneficial.
You’ll also complete reflective assignments following your first clients. These encourage you to consider what went well, what you found challenging and what you might approach differently next time.
Alongside this, you’ll have access to roundtable discussions where franchisees work through challenging client situations together.
You’ll also receive one-to-one supervision focused on marketing and business growth, plus daily drop-in clinics where you can book time with one of the founders to discuss any client-related challenges.
This ongoing access to experienced support is a key part of what makes our approach different.
Building a successful baby sleep consultancy business with Little Dreams
Becoming a sleep consultant involves more than knowing how to help a baby sleep. You’re also building a business, developing relationships with clients and learning how to market your services effectively. Jenna, our marketing specialist founder, will visit you for days, supporting you at your first events and connection making with other businesses so you are never on your own!
Our first-year support plan brings these elements together. It combines taught training, specialist modules, self-study, practical client experience, supervision, feedback and opportunities to learn alongside other franchisees.
Across the programme, the planned activities include over 60 hours of taught and supported learning, 28 hours of structured self-study and over 50 hours of practical client training. That’s almost 140 hours of planned training and development, before accounting for additional learning, preparation and the wider experience of running your business.
Why does a sleep consultant franchise cost more than a standalone sleep training course?
A standalone sleep course can provide valuable knowledge, but it generally focuses on teaching you about sleep and some basic marketing. Our franchise investment encompasses a much broader package of training and business support, alongside the franchise model and the wider resources available to franchisees.
You’re not simply paying to learn about baby sleep. You’re investing in the opportunity to practise your skills with guidance, receive feedback on your work, develop your confidence with real families and access ongoing support as you grow. You have access to a community of sleep consultant franchisees and mentoring in your business so you can find the clients you need to be successful.
We want our franchisees to feel equipped to deliver a professional service, recognise their limitations, identify when further support or referral is needed and continue developing their practice.
Our aim is not simply to train sleep consultants. It’s to support people in becoming confident, capable Little Dreams franchisees.
If you’d like to discover what makes our award-winning, evidence-based franchise different, download our prospectus or get in touch to chat to us. We’d love to talk you through how we can help you build a business that’s designed for long-term success.
