The Chicago Tribune reveals why more and more companies are investing in sleep consultants

Generations of new parents have learned the hard way that a baby who wakes up every couple of hours, crying to be held or fed, makes it impossible to get sufficient sleep at night. In a recent article, The Chicago Tribune reveals why more and more companies are now paying for sleep consultants to help their employees get some much-needed rest, and specifically how Maven and Assurance are helping companies address this issue.

Sleep consultants work with parents to develop concrete, step-by-step plans to address their specific sleep-related challenges, create better sleep environments for babies, and answer questions like when to put babies to bed and how long to wait before responding to their crying. Their services can be pricey, with many charging between $400 and $500 for a package that includes a consultation, personal plan, and several weeks of support.

“That’s why Assurance not only recommends that its clients offer Maven to their employees, but offers Maven to its own employees, as well. Not surprisingly, Micklow has found that when employees are well-rested, they are able to work with more efficiency, accuracy, patience, and enthusiasm.”

But the investment pays off for employers: data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that when employees don’t get enough rest, the drop in their productivity can cost employers as much as $1,967 per employee, per year. Many employees report that their babies begin sleeping through the night after just a few weeks of working with a sleep consultant, allowing them to return to work refreshed and energized.

According to Jill Micklow, the wellness manager for Assurance Agency, a Schaumburg-based insurance brokerage, offering sleep consultants is “part of a broader trend of employers increasingly trying to support working moms.” In particular, benefits that help ease the transition back to work after having a baby are in high demand. Such benefits include—in addition to sleep consultants—back-to-work coaches, lactation consultants, and mental healthcare. Maven’s network provides convenient, digital access to all of these types of specialists, and more. That’s why Assurance not only recommends that its clients offer Maven to their employees, but offers Maven to its own employees, as well. Not surprisingly, Micklow has found that when employees are well-rested, they are able to work with more efficiency, accuracy, patience, and enthusiasm.