What overnight support actually looks like

Overnight support gets written into a lot of plans without much detail attached, and the difference between the two main arrangements matters a great deal once the roster starts running.

Sleepover shifts

A sleepover means a support worker stays at the residence overnight and is available if they are needed. They sleep for most of the shift. This suits people who are largely independent through the night but need someone on hand for occasional assistance, reassurance, or an unplanned event.

Active night shifts

An active night shift means the worker is awake and working for the whole period. This is what you need where support is required at predictable intervals through the night, or where waking assistance happens often enough that a sleepover would not be reasonable for either person.

Working out which one fits

The honest way to decide is to look at what actually happened over the last fortnight rather than what a plan assumed. How many times was help needed after midnight? Was it predictable or scattered? Did a family member end up covering it?

If you are not sure, it is reasonable to start with one arrangement, keep notes for a few weeks, and change it. A roster that cannot be revised is a roster that will eventually stop working.