Starting childcare and sleep disruption

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.

Starting childcare is a big change, and sleep often takes the hit for a few weeks. Different nap environment, more stimulation, new germs, and the emotional load of settling in all add up. It's temporary. Here's what to expect and how to help your child through it.

Why sleep wobbles at the start

Childcare naps rarely match home naps at first. A busy room, a different cot or mat, and new routines can mean shorter or skipped day sleeps, so your child arrives home overtired. On top of that, the emotional work of adjusting, and the run of colds that new care brings, both disturb sleep. Expect a bumpy few weeks rather than an overnight change.

Support the day sleep

• Share your child's routine and settling cues with the educators, so there's some continuity.
• Send a familiar comforter if your child is old enough and the centre allows it. Red Nose strongly advises no soft toys or comforters in the sleep space from birth to seven months; from seven months parents can weigh up the risks and benefits of a small soft toy, and nothing should be in the cot with a baby for the first 12 months regardless.
• Ask how naps actually went, so you can adjust the evening based on real information.
• Trust that childcare naps often improve as your child becomes familiar with the routine, even though frequent minor illnesses are common during the first year of childcare.

Protect the night

The single most useful lever is an earlier bedtime. On days your child napped poorly at care, bring bedtime forward a little to head off the overtiredness that causes night waking and early rising. Keep your bedtime routine rock-steady, because familiar cues are especially reassuring during a period of big change.

Go easy for a bit

This isn't the moment to start sleep training or make other big changes. Your child is using a lot of energy adjusting, so lean into comfort and consistency, and let the new normal settle before you tackle anything else. If sleep is still badly disrupted well after your child has settled into care, then it's worth looking at whether a habit has formed, rather than assuming childcare is still the cause.

It also helps to build in a little extra connection at each end of the day, since a child who feels secure tends to settle more easily at night. A slower, warmer bedtime during the settling-in weeks, with a bit more cuddle time and a bit less rush, often does more for sleep than any change to the schedule itself.

Sources

• Raising Children Network, Toddler sleep
• Raising Children Network, Baby sleep 2 to 12 months

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.