Hiring a Night Nanny

What is a Night Nanny?

Depending on the ages of your children, a Night Nanny will address a range of issues. They can help parents of newborns baby to establish a routine and healthy sleeping habits, they can support older babies and toddlers who may have difficulties in settling at the start of the evening and later if they wake during the night. In some cases, parents may work night shifts or very late hours meaning they simply require the services of someone who experienced and capable of caring for their children overnight in the form of a proxy-parent.

What does a Night Nanny do?

A Night Nanny offers a bespoke service tailored to the individual needs of the family employing her services. Often a very experienced Nanny or Maternity Nurse with many years’ experience, having undergone specialised training to enable her to understand and implement strategies for tackling a range of night time issues in newborns, babies and toddlers.

Some parents struggle initially following the birth of their baby, perhaps Mum has undergone a C-section or traumatic birth experience and is having difficulty getting up and down at night to feed baby by breast or bottle. There may be other concerns relating to colic or reflux, perhaps baby is not settling well into a night-time routine which means that parents may be facing severe sleep deprivation as a result.

Older babies and toddlers who may have slept well in the past, can often face difficulties relating to sleep if, for example, they have been ill or away on holiday and their normal settling routine has been altered resulting in poor sleep associations being formed and consequently, problems settling at bedtime or following periods of night waking.

Many parents are facing the added pressures of having to get up and go to work and the consequences of sleep deprivation from any of the issues noted above, coupled with the stress related to their child’s poor sleep or routine can mean that they need to find a solution to the problem, quickly and effectively. A Night Nanny may be just what’s needed to restore calm and a sense of routine to family life.

How can she help?

Hiring a Night Nanny offers a solution to many of the common issues that families face in establishing and implementing a routine, meaning a better night’s sleep for all concerned. She may arrive just in time to start the bedtime routine, guiding and advising parents on the best approach to set the scene for a settled night ahead. 

She will offer tips and tailored methods for dealing with all kinds of issues such as siblings who share a room where one sibling sleeps well and the other is having trouble. Perhaps a baby has not taken well to the move from crib to cot or cot to bed and parents just don’t know what to do to resolve the situation. A Night Nanny can help! She will then stay overnight for consecutive nights or as required, until the issues are resolved.

There are also instances where a new baby can have a particularly unsettling effect on the lives of older siblings. A toddler may not yet understand that a new baby doesn’t mean that Mummy is no longer available to see to their needs at bedtime and this can have an impact on bedtime routines and night waking if the toddler is sensitive to the changes or already has poor sleep habits. A Night Nanny can help to address these issues by offering solutions based on tried and tested techniques.

How much does a Night Nanny charge?

Rates vary depending on where you’re based, her travel costs and the level of service required. Typically, expect to pay in the region of £80 - £150 per night. This may be slightly more if there are complex issues to address or help is required to assist in the care of twins or multiples.

How can I find a good Night Nanny?

Find out more about Checks and References

Childcare.co.uk offers a fantastic search facility whereby families can search for their Night Nanny by entering a postcode and seeing a list of Night Nannies in their area. Maternity Nurses often offer a Night Nanny service and are well placed to help with issues relating to newborns and infants in particular. Contact your short list of candidates and talk through your situation. Confident answers to simple questions and a good dialogue that includes lots of questions about your child means that your Night Nanny has a genuine interest in helping you to resolve your night time woes by finding and adapting an approach that is tailored to the specific needs of your child and your family as a whole.