title: A Survey of Practicing Sleep Coaches.
abstract: Sleep coaches are individuals of various backgrounds who offer services to families struggling with behavioral childhood sleep problems. We conducted a survey of coaches to further elucidate scope of practice, practice patterns, geographic distribution, education, training, and beliefs regarding qualification requirements.
  
  
  
  A Web-based survey was completed by 142 individuals who identified as a sleep coach.
  
  
  
  Coaches were distributed across 17 countries and 5 continents. Overall, 65% of coaches served clients in countries beyond their home country. Within the United States, coaches were generally located in more affluent and well-educated zip codes near large metropolitan centers, 91% served clients beyond their home state, and 56% served clients internationally. Educational background varied across coaches (12% high school degree, 51% bachelor's degree, 32% master's degree, 2% doctoral degree, 1.5% JD degree). Few coaches (20%) were or had been licensed health care providers or carried malpractice insurance (38%). Coaches usually provided services for children < 4 months of age to about 6 years of age, and were much less likely to provide services for children with comorbid neurodevelopmental (32%) or significant medical disorders (19%). Coaches reported an average of 3 new and 6 total clients per week and working 20 hr per week on average. Most coaches (76%) felt that a formal sleep coach training program was the most important qualification for practice.
  
  
  
  These results highlight a diversity of background, training, and geographical distribution of sleep coaches, and may help inform discussions regarding guidelines for training and credentialing of sleep coaches.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine , Children's Mercy Hospital , Kansas City , Missouri , USA.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ingram
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Saint Joseph's University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.|c Sleep Center , Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Jodi A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mindell
authors.affiliation: d Department of Psychology , Lehigh University , Bethlehem , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Puzino
authors.affiliation: e Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc ., Skillman , New Jersey , USA.
authors.forename: Russel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Walters
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003376:Counseling / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D003406:Credentialing; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D000070263:Sleep Hygiene; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States