Written by Fanny Di Domenicantonio, Director of Fox & Cubs, Nanny & Private Staff Agency, in collaboration with The Mindful Sleep Coach.
Getting children to sleep well is rarely about a single trick or technique. It is about building the right conditions consistently, evening after evening so that rest becomes something a child’s nervous system expects rather than resists.
A recent article from Gemma, founder of The Mindful Sleep Coach, offers practical, expert guidance on building evening routines that genuinely support children’s sleep, from babies through to preschoolers.
Sleep begins long before bedtime
One of the central insights in Gemma’s article is that sleep does not begin at bedtime. It begins hours earlier, shaped by the rhythm of the day and the signals a child receives as the evening unfolds.
A calm, predictable sequence of wind-down steps dimmed lighting, a warm bath, a consistent sleep phrase tells a child’s nervous system that it is safe to rest. When that pattern is repeated consistently, most children begin to settle with far less resistance. The routine itself becomes the signal. Children are not being managed into sleep; they are being gently guided towards it by the familiarity of what comes next.
Why caregiver consistency matters more than you might think
One of the most valuable points in Gemma’s article is also one of the most frequently overlooked: consistency across caregivers. When a child experiences a different approach to bedtime depending on who is putting them to sleep, it creates genuine confusion. The nervous system relies on familiarity to build the associations that make sleep feel safe.
Gemma is clear that this does not mean every caregiver must follow an identical script but the overall rhythm, emotional tone and key cues should feel broadly the same, regardless of who is present. The bath still happens. The story still comes before the lamp goes off. The sleep phrase is still said in the same quiet way. These are not rigid rules; they are anchors.
What this means for families working with a nanny
This is something we think about carefully at Fox & Cubs. When we introduce a nanny or maternity nurse to a family, we look for professionals who are genuinely invested in understanding and maintaining the routines a family has already built. A nanny who respects and upholds the bedtime rhythm you have established makes an enormous difference to the consistency your child receives across the week.
That consistency is far more powerful than any single sleep strategy. It is not about perfection it is about a professional who understands why continuity matters and who brings the same calm, attentive presence to the evening routine every time they are there.
If you are looking for a nanny who will support your family’s routines rather than disrupt them, get in touch with our team it is exactly the kind of match we focus on making.
Fox & Cubs insight
“A nanny who understands and maintains a family’s sleep routines is not just following instructions they are actively contributing to a child’s sense of security and wellbeing. It is one of the qualities we look for carefully in every placement we make.”
Eva, Client Consultant, Fox & Cubs Nanny & Private Staff Agency.
Read the full article
This article was written in collaboration with Gemma, founder of The Mindful Sleep Coach. To read the original piece in full, visit:
