Starting nursery is a huge milestone. It is exciting, emotional and often exhausting for everyone involved. It is also very often the same time that you are returning to work, which brings its own emotional and practical challenges, so it can feel like a lot of change all at once.
I regularly get asked by parents how to prepare little ones for the start of nursery or childminders. It is very normal to feel apprehensive about this change, and in my experience thinking ahead is always more helpful than simply hoping it will all fall into place. A little preparation can make the transition significantly smoother for everyone.
The first thing to think about is how your little one currently gets to sleep. Every family finds their own rhythm, and there is no right or wrong way to support your child if it is working well for you. It can simply be helpful to consider whether that same level of support will be available in a shared childcare setting. For example, if your child is used to feeding to sleep or having you close by while they drift off, nursery may naturally feel a little different at first.
When children start nursery, there are several new elements for them to adjust to. The environment is busier, the day is often more stimulating and the routine may not look exactly the same as it does at home. Even children who sleep beautifully at home can experience nursery sleep struggles in the first few weeks. Whilst that may sound worrying, most children adapt far more quickly than we expect and, with the right support in place, this transition does not have to feel overwhelming. Nursery teams are experienced in guiding little ones through these early days, but they are caring for several children at once, so the way sleep looks there may not mirror home exactly.
Discussing sleep when you first visit a nursery is incredibly beneficial. Ask about their approach with babies under one, how flexible they can be with nap times, where your little one will sleep and what strategies they use if a child is struggling to settle. Opening this conversation early helps you feel informed and reassured, and it allows nursery staff to understand your child’s individual sleep needs from the beginning.
How To Support Sleep When Starting Nursery
Talk Openly With Your Nursery
If you are local, you will know we have some wonderful settings across Solihull and South Warwickshire. I regularly work alongside the team at Bentley Manor and have always found that open communication makes a significant difference. Sharing clear information about your child’s usual nap timing, how they fall asleep at home and how long naps typically last helps nursery staff understand what your child is used to. Nurseries cannot follow home routines perfectly, but understanding your child’s sleep pattern helps them offer the right opportunity for rest and avoid unnecessary overtiredness.
Ease Them In Gently
If you have the flexibility, easing your child into nursery gradually can really help. Starting with shorter days, perhaps dropping off slightly later or collecting a little earlier in the first couple of weeks, gives them space to adjust without becoming excessively overtired. We tend to ease ourselves back into work after time off, and it is important to allow our children that same period of adjustment. Shorter days initially can prevent sleep from becoming a bigger challenge while they are still settling emotionally and physically.
Familiar Items From Home
As advised by the Lullaby Trust for safe sleep, children under one should sleep in a clear cot. To create familiarity with home, you can take your little one’s sleeping bag with you and perhaps sleep with a cot sheet over your pillow for them to take into nursery so they have the scent of you during their nap. Children over one can have a soft toy or comforter from home, but my own experience would suggest that having more than one of the same teddy is a very good idea to avoid those moments of lost teddies.
Expect Shorter Naps Initially
Many parents worry when nursery naps are shorter than those at home. In most cases this is temporary. Children do learn to sleep in new environments, and a lot of children eventually nap very well at nursery once they have had time to practise. It is helpful to view the first few weeks as an adjustment period rather than a problem that needs fixing immediately. Giving your child time to adapt often leads to steady improvement.
Use An Earlier Bedtime On Nursery Days
One of the most effective tools for managing overtiredness after nursery is an earlier bedtime. If naps are short or missed, bringing bedtime forward can protect night sleep and prevent overtired cycles building across the week. An in bed time of 6pm is entirely appropriate for many children during this transition. You can see why I suggested an earlier pick up, as this can only be achieved if your child is collected with plenty of time before bed to still facilitate a strong bedtime routine. Parents often worry that an earlier bedtime will result in earlier waking, but in overtired children it frequently does the opposite.
Separation, Goodbyes And Emotional Regulation Around Nursery
For some children, nursery is their first consistent experience of separation from a parent, and that can influence both naps and night sleep. Keeping goodbyes calm, brief and consistent helps build trust in the routine. Always tell your child you are leaving and that you will be back, rather than slipping away unnoticed. You are helping them build confidence in the fact that you return. This is something you can gently practise in the months leading up to nursery so it does not feel completely new on their first day.
Nursery sleep struggles are rarely just about sleep. Your child has navigated a full day without you, which takes emotional energy even if they are happy and settled there. Carving out fifteen minutes of calm, uninterrupted connection before bedtime can help re fill their attention cup ready for sleep. Put your phone away, slow everything down and give them your full attention. That focused time can make a noticeable difference on nursery days.
Illness
Unfortunately, a new environment and mixing with lots more children can result in a few more bouts of illness than you are used to. Here is my blog on helping your child sleep in hospital and when poorly at home.
When To Speak To A Sleep Consultant In Solihull And South Warwickshire
If your child is due to start nursery soon, it can really help to think about sleep a few months beforehand rather than waiting until the first tricky week. If you would like to strengthen independent sleep skills, doing this around two months before nursery starts gives your child time to practise and feel confident before the transition.
Most children with independent sleep skills settle with a few weeks of starting nursery. If persistent bedtime battles, frequent night waking, ongoing nap refusal or early morning waking continue beyond this, it may be time to look at the wider sleep picture.
As a sleep consultant working across Solihull and South Warwickshire, I support babies and children up through nursery transitions, routine adjustments and sleep confidence building. Small changes to timing, routine structure or sleep associations can make a significant difference.
