What a sleep consultation actually involves

This guide is general information only and isn't a substitute for medical advice. If you're concerned about your child's health, or they're unwell, please see a doctor.

It's hard to buy something when you don't know what you're getting. Sleep consulting isn't regulated in Australia, so packages vary a lot, but most follow a similar shape. Here's what to expect, so you can tell a thorough consultant from a template.

Before you start: the intake

Most consultants send a detailed questionnaire first. Expect questions about your child's age and development, feeding, health, the sleep space, current routine and timings, how your child falls asleep, what happens overnight, what you've already tried, and what you're comfortable with. A good intake also asks how you and your partner feel about crying, because that determines which methods are even on the table.

The consult itself

Usually 45 to 90 minutes, by video, phone, or in your home. The consultant takes a history, works out what's actually driving the problem (timing, sleep associations, environment, hunger, or a mix), and talks you through the options. You should be doing a lot of the talking.

You should leave with a written plan: a daily rhythm with timings, a settling approach explained step by step, what to do at each overnight wake, and what to expect on nights one through seven.

The support afterwards, which is the real product

The plan matters less than the support while you follow it. Most packages include one to three weeks of follow-up by message, email or call. This is where a plan gets adjusted when your child does something the plan didn't predict, which they will.

When you're comparing consultants, compare the follow-up: how many weeks, in what format, how quickly they respond, and whether plan revisions are included.

Ask, too, who you will actually be speaking to. In larger practices the person who runs your consult isn't always the person answering your messages at 10pm, and that is worth knowing before you sign up.

What a good consultant will and won't do

• Will work within Red Nose safe sleep guidance for babies under 12 months.
• Will coach you to settle your own child, rather than doing something you can't repeat.
• Will ask about medical issues and refer you to your GP where relevant, rather than working around them.
• Won't promise a specific result by a specific night.
• Won't push a method you've said you're not comfortable with.

One thing to check first

A few things point to a doctor rather than a settling plan. Raising Children advises seeing your GP if your child snores most nights or over a long period, breathes through their mouth, or gasps, chokes or struggles for breath in their sleep, or is unusually tired or hard to wake during the day. Difficulty breathing, pale, blotchy or blue skin, or being very drowsy or hard to rouse are signs of serious illness that healthdirect says need urgent care. And if your child seems to be in pain, is feeding poorly, or isn't growing or gaining weight as expected, see your GP or child and family health nurse, because no settling method fixes a medical problem. A good consultant will tell you the same.

Sources

• Red Nose Australia, Six safe sleep recommendations
• Raising Children Network, Snoring in babies, kids and teenagers
• healthdirect, Symptoms of serious illness in babies and children

Last updated: July 2026. Sources include Red Nose Australia and Raising Children Network where cited above. This guide is general information only. For individual concerns, see your GP or child health nurse.