A nanny in the evening or overnight works like ordinary childcare, but demands more preparation. The routine should be written down, the child should have met the nanny before, and the agreement should make clear whether the nanny stays awake or sleeps over. RUT (the Swedish tax deduction for household services) applies whatever the time of day, as long as the care takes place at home.
For many families an evening shift is their first contact with childcare: a dinner, a concert, an evening without looking at the clock. Overnight shifts are less common but come up with shift work and business trips. Both work well, provided a few things are in place.
Friday, half past six, in a terraced house in Bromma. The three-year-old has eaten, the six-year-old has not, and the parents are off to a dinner that starts at seven for the first time since the spring. The nanny arrived at six, the children have met her twice before, and on the kitchen table is an A4 sheet with the evening routine. It is an evening shift that will go well, and those are the three things that make it so.
What makes an evening shift different from an afternoon shift
The afternoon is about activity. The evening is about winding down, and that is far more sensitive to breaks in the routine.
| Afternoon | Evening and night | |
|---|---|---|
| The child's state | Alert but hungry | Tired, easier to throw off balance |
| What matters most | Activity and a snack | Routine and predictability |
| Preparation needed | Moderate | High, the routine should be written down |
| Should the child have met the nanny? | Ideally | Always |
| RUT deduction | Yes | Yes, if the care takes place at home |
How to prepare an evening shift
- Let the child meet the nanny in daylight first. A child who wakes at 11 pm and meets a stranger gets frightened. A child who recognises her goes back to sleep.
- Write down the evening routine and leave it on the kitchen table. Mealtimes, teeth, bedtime story, night light, cuddly toy, everything that is obvious to you but unknown to anyone else.
- Say what applies if someone wakes up. May the child get up? Water? Should you be called?
- Leave phone numbers for both of you and for a backup contact, and the address written down, so whoever needs to call 112 does not have to go looking.
- Say goodbye properly. Sneaking out while the child is playing feels easier, but makes the next time harder.
The note on the kitchen table: what to include
It is the most important preparation, and it takes ten minutes. Write it by hand or print it, but put it where the nanny will see it. We have a ready-made template in our guide to The note for the babysitter. This is what a good note looks like:
- Times: dinner, bedtime snack, teeth, story, lights out.
- Food: what the children may and may not eat, where it is, allergies.
- Bedtime in order: pyjamas, wee, teeth, book, night light, door ajar. The same order you use, because the child notices every deviation.
- What usually works when someone does not want to sleep, and what does not. It saves the nanny twenty minutes of trial and error.
- If someone wakes up: may the child get up, water, one more book, call you?
- Your numbers, a backup contact, and the address with the door code.
- Where things are: medicines, first aid kit, torch, spare sheets.
- When you will be home, roughly, and whether you want a text once the children are asleep.
If a child wakes up: four common situations
| Situation | What the nanny does | When she contacts you |
|---|---|---|
| Wakes up, grizzles, half asleep | Goes in, calm voice, strokes their back, goes out. Does not turn on the light. | Not at all, it goes on the note afterwards |
| Wakes up crying, wants mum or dad | Picks the child up if needed, says you will be home when they are asleep, stays until they have settled | A text if it goes on for more than half an hour |
| Nightmare or night terror | For a nightmare: comfort and the light on. For a night terror: does not wake the child, sits close, waits it out | Tells you afterwards, calls if you have asked her to |
| Fever, vomiting, injury | Looks after the child first, calls you straight after. 1177 (the national healthcare helpline) if unsure, 112 if it is an emergency | Always, immediately |
The most important thing is that you have decided in advance when you want to be called. Say it outright: "Call if she cries for more than half an hour, otherwise not." Then the nanny does not have to guess, and you do not have to watch your phone all through dinner. The difference between a nightmare and a night terror is explained in Nightmares and night terrors in children.
Overnight care, two different set-ups
There are two ways to arrange overnight care, and the difference in both responsibility and price is large. Decide which applies before the shift, not during it.
- Awake night. The nanny is awake and on duty all night, for example during shift work or when a child needs supervision. Charged as hours worked.
- Sleeping on call. The nanny sleeps in the home and is on hand if something happens. Used when the parents are away overnight.
Which set-up applies, how it is charged and where the nanny sleeps should be in the agreement. It is not a formality, it is what decides what is expected of her at four in the morning.
An evening with a baby
During the first year the evening shift is more often a question of feeding than of sleep. If you are breastfeeding exclusively, the baby needs to have taken a bottle a few times before, and you place the shift between two feeds. The nanny should have experience with infants and be trained in infant CPR. More on that in our guide to A nanny for your baby.
Evening shifts that work
The best evening shift is the most boring one. The child does the same things as on an ordinary evening, in the same order, with a person they recognise. It sounds unambitious, and that is exactly the point: an evening with a nanny should not be an adventure. It should be an ordinary evening where you happen to be somewhere else.
That is also why we match a family with the same nanny instead of sending whoever happens to be free. An evening works in proportion to how well the child knows the person who is there.
When you get home
Come in quietly. Do not wake the children for a goodnight kiss, it is tempting and costs an hour. Let the nanny tell you in peace: what the children ate, when they fell asleep, whether anyone woke up. Five minutes is enough. Tell her how your evening was too. That is what brings her back with the same energy next Friday.
What does an evening nanny cost, and does RUT apply?
With us, childcare costs from 165 kronor an hour after the RUT deduction, depending on how many hours a week you book, and occasional bookings 199 kronor an hour after RUT. Late evenings and nights mean unsociable hours for the nanny, and whether that affects the price is set out in the quote you receive after the first meeting. No start-up fees, no lock-in period. The full pricing is on our prices page.
The RUT deduction applies whatever the time of day as long as the care takes place in or near your home: 50 per cent of the labour cost, and we take it off the invoice directly. Childcare at a party, a restaurant or a hotel does not qualify. The details are in RUT deduction for nannies and babysitters.
How we do it with our families
Denise has had a family in Sundbyberg on Fridays for a year now: one child of four and one of seven. The first time was an afternoon shift while the parents were at home. The second time a Saturday morning. Only the third time was it an evening shift, six to eleven. Now Friday is routine: she arrives at six, they eat pancakes the parents have made in advance, the four-year-old falls asleep at half past seven with the same book every time, the seven-year-old gets half an hour on the sofa with Denise before bed. The note afterwards always has three lines: what they ate, when they fell asleep, whether anyone woke up. The parents say the best thing about the evening is that they do not think about it.
Would you like a nanny who comes on the same days every week and whom the children know? Book a free first meeting with the nanny at your home, and we will work out a quote for your hours.
Read more: The first time with a babysitter · How much does a nanny cost in Stockholm in 2026? · RUT deduction for nannies and babysitters · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can you have a nanny overnight?
Yes. Overnight care comes up when parents work shifts, travel for work or go to a party that runs late. The nanny either stays awake all night or sleeps over on call, and the agreement should state clearly which of the two applies, how it is charged and where she sleeps. Decide it before the shift, not during it.
Does an evening nanny qualify for the RUT deduction?
Yes, as long as the care takes place in or close to your home. The time of day does not affect the right to the deduction: a Friday evening gives the same 50 per cent off the labour cost as a Tuesday afternoon. Childcare at a restaurant, hotel or party away from home does not qualify, because the work is then not done in the home.
What does an evening nanny cost?
With Happy Nanny, childcare costs from 165 kronor an hour after the RUT deduction, depending on how many hours a week you book, and occasional bookings 199 kronor an hour after RUT. Late evenings and nights mean unsociable hours for the nanny, and whether that affects the price is set out in the quote you receive after the first meeting.
How do you prepare an evening shift?
Let the child meet the nanny in daylight first. Write down the evening routine and leave it out: when the children eat, when they brush their teeth, how bedtime goes step by step and what applies if someone wakes up. Leave phone numbers and the address in writing. A nanny who follows your usual routine makes the evening predictable for the child.
Can the nanny sleep once the children are asleep?
On an evening shift the nanny is awake and on duty the whole time, even when the children are asleep. She listens, checks on them and is there if anyone wakes up. Sleeping on call, where she sleeps in the home overnight, is a different set-up that is agreed in advance and charged differently. Do not mix the two up, and write down which applies.