I sometimes see people in forums or on social media debating the question, “Is a sleep coach worth it?”
Now, of course I’m biased because I am an adult sleep coach. But I can’t help but weigh in on the topic because the answer yes seems extremely obvious to me!
Granted, hiring an adult sleep coach or a child sleep consultant simply does not fit into everyone’s budget. I am sensitive to the fact that not everyone is in a financial position to hire a sleep coach, or a personal trainer, or a licensed nutritionist.
But there are cases where I have to wonder about some people’s priorities, and what they consider worth it.
For example, some may not think twice about buying a $400 pair of shoes, or a $3,000 exercise bike, or a $1,200 television. But when it comes to spending money on achieving long-lasting sleep improvements for themselves or their children, it requires some real soul searching.
My opinion on this topic is just one of many, but hopefully addressing it from a sleep coach’s perspective will put a new spin on it for you.
How I know that sleep coaching is worth it
There are two main ways that I can confidently say working with a sleep coach is worth it.
Looking back on my own struggle with insomnia
I have been on the other side of things. I spent many years dealing with insomnia before I decided to become a sleep coach and sort out my issues myself.
During those years, I wasted way too much time trying to make myself sleep through sleep aids and various online advice. Knowing what I know now, it’s easy now to look back and see how finding relief could have been so much simpler! I absorbed a lot of information through books and the internet over the years, but I was never able to pull it all together in an effective, sustainable way.
Now that I help people whose shoes I once walked in, I can tell you that the real value in working with a sleep consultant comes from several things including:
- Simplifying sleep so it doesn’t seem so mysterious and complex
- Identifying the behaviors and thoughts that are impairing your sleep
- Being a readily available source of evidence-based sleep knowledge
- Helping you make changes at your own pace
- Giving you the support and motivation to change long-standing habits
- Leading you on a structured plan to reduce dependence on sleep medications and other sleep aids
- Helping you to reduce sleep-related anxiety and learn to love your nights again
How much would I have paid during the height of my insomnia to have my own personal sleep coach dedicated to helping me sleep better? To cut through all of the noise on the internet and the unhelpful advice from friends? To have someone get to know me and offer advice that’s personalized to my life? Priceless.
Seeing the look of relief in my clients’ eyes
But there’s an even better way for me to judge sleep coaching’s value, and that’s through my own clients’ progress.
I’ve coached primary care physicians, psychotherapists, embryologists, business executives, artists, and stay-at-home moms. Men and women. Old and young. Very different people, but they all recognized that their lives are better when they’re sleeping better. Many of them had “tried everything” and were feeling stuck and tired. But all of them had decided that sleep was worth it, which is a great first step.
I worked with a man who had experienced severe trouble sleeping for more than seven years. During that time, he took at least one type of sleep aid every night before bed and during the night. He had nearly lost hope that he would be able to sleep without taking any substances, or that he could ever have a “normal” night of sleep. When he signed up to work with me, he said he would mortgage his house if we could get him sleeping better. I let him stay in his house after we improved his sleep, but I think it’s fair to say he got his money’s worth and then some.
And then there was my 60-year-old client who had been taking some form of THC or medication for the past 20-plus years and said that he’d never been a good sleeper. He found his insomnia so debilitating that he had to take a leave of absence from work. And he worried that if he continued to have long stretches of barely sleeping at all, he wouldn’t be able to truly enjoy his nearing retirement. As we were turning things around for him, this inspiring client told me, “What I’ve gained so far is worth a lot more than what I paid you.”
When I see sleep coaching success stories like this regularly from my clients and from our child sleep consultants’ clients, and hear the new lightness in their voices, it’s hard for me to think of a scenario where having someone help you improve your sleep is not worth it!
Are sleeping pills more worth it?
I recently talked with a client who told me about a conversation he had with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist said she offers all of her patients cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) to help with insomnia, but nobody takes her up on it.
Despite the fact that CBT is safe, effective and natural, and it’s now the recommended approach ahead of sleeping pills, many people just want a quick-fix pill. Never mind the fact that sleep medications are not recommended for long-term use, and are a slippery slope toward even greater sleep problems.
In my opinion, having someone uncover the root of your sleep issues and provide education, support, and a voice of reason … that’s many times more valuable than the pharmaceutical equivalent of using tissue paper to patch a hole in a leaky roof.
Let’s ask better questions about the worth of a sleep coach
We’re going to reframe this issue and see if it changes your thoughts about this subject.
Here are some of the most common traits I see with people who choose to work with a sleep coach:
- Anxiety about falling asleep or staying asleep
- Worrying about how poor sleep is affecting their health
- Feeling unrefreshed during their days
- Never feeling satisfied with their sleep
- Always searching for the latest, greatest sleep aid
- Harboring negative thoughts about their ability to sleep
- Comparing themselves unfavorably to other “good sleepers”
- Feeling helpless and hopeless that their sleep can improve
Now, can you put a price tag on what it’s costing someone to accept those things for many precious years of their lives? Is it worth it to not get help with sleep if you need it?
If you ask me, I have personally spent money on WAY more frivolous things than getting better sleep. But if I could time travel, I’d tell my younger self that it would have been very worth the money to get help from a sleep expert.
Value is in the eye of the beholder
Let’s get back to the original question: Is a sleep coach worth it?
If you want better sleep, then yes, it’s most definitely worth it. If it fits into your budget, then it’s worth it. If you recognize a good long-term investment opportunity (yourself) … worth it.
I’ll leave it up to you to make the final judgment call, but I sincerely hope that sleep eventually finds a spot high on your list of valuable things.
Ready to achieve better sleep?
There’s a Sleepably adult sleep coach or child sleep consultant ready to help you rest easier night after night! There’s no better time than right now to learn why you’re having trouble sleeping, and to commit to becoming a healthier, more well-rested version of yourself.
Schedule a free, friendly, no-pressure call with an adult or child sleep coach today and discover how sleep coaching can make a difference in your life.