Why Sleep Feels Harder Once You Return to Work

If sleep feels harder now you are back at work, even though your child is older and even though you thought things would be more settled by now, you are not imagining it.

Many working mums are surprised by how much returning to work changes sleep. Nights that once felt manageable suddenly do not. Early mornings hit harder. The pressure to sort sleep feels heavier than ever.

There is a reason for this, and it is not that you are doing anything wrong.

Returning to work changes sleep even if your child’s sleep has not changed

Before returning to work, broken nights often came with flexibility. You may have been able to rest during the day, move more slowly, or recover after a difficult night.

Once work enters the picture, things change.

1. There is no recovery time after night wakings

2. Mornings are fixed and non negotiable

3. Early starts feel relentless

4. Even small sleep disruptions feel bigger

Often it is not that your child’s sleep has worsened. It is that your capacity has changed.

The mental load of sleep increases when you are working

When you return to work, sleep becomes something you think about constantly.

You may find yourself:

1. Counting hours of sleep

2. Worrying about how tomorrow will feel

3. Second guessing naps and bedtimes

4. Feeling pressure to fix sleep quickly

This mental load is exhausting and it is one of the biggest reasons sleep feels harder for working mums.

Why just be consistent is not helpful advice

Many working parents are told that sleep will improve if they are just more consistent.

Consistency is hard when:

1. You are exhausted

2. You are juggling work childcare and home life

3. You do not have a clear plan

This is not a lack of effort. It is a lack of structure that fits working parent life.

When your child already sleeps in their own bed but nights are still hard

Many families assume that once their child sleeps in a cot or toddler bed, sleep should feel easier.

Sleep can still feel hard if:

1. Your child relies on feeding rocking or parental presence to fall asleep

2. Night wakings are frequent or unpredictable

3. Bedtime feels tense or drawn out

4. Early mornings are creeping earlier

These patterns do not mean you have failed. They simply mean sleep needs gentle

restructuring rather than a reset.

You do not need to start again

Improving sleep does not mean undoing everything you have done.

It means small intentional changes that build towards more predictable sleep at a pace that feels manageable.

Support that fits around working life

If your child already sleeps in their own cot or toddler bed and sleep feels unsustainable now you are back at work, you do not need to keep second guessing every bedtime decision.

My Back to Work Sleep Reset offers gentle structured sleep support designed specifically for working mums, with clear steps and daytime guidance so you are not carrying this alone. View the 'Back to Work Sleep Reset' Programme.

If you are currently co-sleeping and want support moving your child into their own cot or bed, my Beyond Co-Sleeping may be a better fit.