Sleep Coaching Practitioner
Train with a sleep neuroscientist to coach adults through poor sleep using methods that have evidence behind them, and to recognise the presentations that need a clinician.
Taught and assessed by
Dr Nadia HassanProfile pending contract
- Live teaching
- 16h
- Self-study
- 28h
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- Weekly load
- ~6h
What you will be able to do
- Explain sleep architecture and circadian regulation accurately to a client
- Run a structured sleep intake that screens for sleep apnoea and other clinical presentations
- Apply CBT-for-insomnia principles within a coaching scope of practice
- Distinguish evidence-based sleep advice from the large volume of popular sleep misinformation
- Build and adjust a six-week behavioural sleep plan with a real client
- Refer appropriately and document that referral
Who this is for
- Coaches and wellness practitioners whose clients raise sleep constantly
- PTs and nutritionists adding a sleep offer
- Workplace wellbeing leads designing sleep support
- Nurses and allied health professionals moving into coaching
Who this is not for
- Anyone seeking to treat diagnosed sleep disorders — that is clinical work requiring clinical training
- Parents looking for infant sleep training, which is a different discipline entirely
What you need before you start
- No prior qualifications required
- Access to one practice client for the assessed case work
What you will actually learn
8 modules · 8 weeks · 16h live
How sleep actually worksSleep architecture, circadian regulation and homeostatic drive, at the depth a practitioner genuinely needs.
Covered in this module
- Sleep stages and cycling
- Circadian rhythm and light
- Sleep pressure and the two-process model
- What tracker data can and cannot tell you
Screening and red flagsRecognising sleep apnoea, restless legs, narcolepsy and parasomnias, and referring rather than coaching them.
Covered in this module
- Validated screening instruments
- Obstructive sleep apnoea indicators
- When insomnia is secondary to something else
- Writing the referral
CBT-I principles within scopeThe behavioural core of the most effective insomnia treatment, and where a coach must stop.
Covered in this module
- Stimulus control and sleep restriction
- Cognitive components and their limits
- Why sleep hygiene alone underperforms
- The boundary with therapy
Shift work and irregular schedulesPractical strategies for clients whose work makes conventional advice impossible.
Covered in this module
- Circadian misalignment
- Rotating shift strategies
- Light and timing interventions
- Managing realistic expectations
Sleep across the lifespanHow sleep changes with age, and the interaction with menopause and midlife health.
Covered in this module
- Age-related architecture changes
- Vasomotor symptoms and sleep
- Adolescent phase delay
- Older adults and daytime napping
Evidence appraisalReading a sleep claim critically, which is the main skill protecting a practitioner's credibility.
Covered in this module
- Study design and sample size
- Popular claims that do not survive scrutiny
- Supplements and the evidence base
- Saying 'we do not know'
Running a practiceContracts, insurance, records and data protection for a UK coaching practice.
Covered in this module
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Informed consent and scope statements
- UK GDPR for health-adjacent data
- Supervision
Case clinic and assessmentLive review of learners' real client cases with tutor and peer feedback.
Covered in this module
- Presenting a case
- Screening decisions reviewed
- Plan adjustment
- Your first ten clients
Dates and timetable
Sleep Coaching Practitioner runs as a live cohort over 8 weeks. Pick the start date that fits — every cohort gets the same tutor, curriculum and assessment.
| Starts | Live sessions | Cap | Status and action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ends | Mondays 19:00–21:00 UK, 8 weeks | 24 | Choose this date → |
| Ends | Mondays 19:00–21:00 UK, 8 weeks | 24 | Choose this date → |
How you are assessed
One assessed client case: a completed sleep intake including screening outcomes, a six-week behavioural plan with rationale, and a reflective review of what changed. Marked by Dr Nadia Hassan against a published rubric weighted heavily towards screening and referral judgement. Written feedback with one free resubmission.
Our accreditation applications are in progress. We do not display an accreditation mark before it is granted — see the current status.
After you pass
- Screening questionnaire and intake templates you may use in practice
- Practice setup clinic covering insurance and contracts
What is a sleep coach?
A sleep coach helps adults improve sleep through behavioural change, schedule adjustment and education, working outside a clinical setting. A sleep coach does not diagnose sleep disorders or prescribe. The role complements medical care by supporting the behavioural work that clinical treatment often depends on.
Do you need a qualification to be a sleep coach in the UK?
No. Sleep coaching is not regulated in the UK and no qualification is legally required to use the title. The practical case for training is different: undetected sleep apnoea is common, and a coach who cannot screen for it may coach someone with a serious untreated condition for months.
Sources
Does sleep coaching actually work?
The behavioural methods it draws on have strong evidence: cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is the recommended first-line treatment for chronic insomnia and outperforms medication long term. Coaching delivers a subset of that within a non-clinical scope, which helps many people and is not a treatment.
How is this different from a self-paced sleep course?
It is taught live by a sleep neuroscientist, and you are assessed on a real client case with screening decisions marked. A self-paced course can teach you sleep facts. It cannot tell you whether you correctly recognised that a client should have been referred instead.
Common questions
Is this about baby sleep?
No. This programme covers adult sleep only. Infant and child sleep is a genuinely different discipline with a different evidence base, and we would rather not teach it than teach it badly.
Will I be able to treat insomnia?
No. Chronic insomnia is a clinical condition and treating it is clinical work. You will be able to apply behavioural principles within a coaching scope and recognise when someone needs clinical CBT-I instead, which is a genuinely useful and honest offer.
Do I need a client already?
You need one practice client for the assessed case, and they can be a friend or colleague rather than a paying client. We help you find one if that is a barrier.
Related reading
Menopause Wellness Coaching
A 10-week live programme training coaches to support women through menopause, taught by an NHS menopause specialist GP with assessed case work.
SubjectWellness & Therapy Careers
Live, assessed programmes for people building a career in menopause coaching, sleep, nutrition and trauma-informed practice — taught by clinicians.
CareerHow to become a sleep coach in the UK
What a sleep coach actually does, whether a medical degree is required, where the clinical boundary sits, and the realistic route to a first client.
AnswerDo sleep coaches need a medical qualification?
Sleep coaching is unregulated in the UK, so no medical degree is required — but treating diagnosed sleep disorders is clinical work a coach must refer.