QA2 17.1. Sleep and Rest Time Procedure v1.0 · 17.1 Sleep and Rest Time Procedure Quality Area 2: CHILDREN’S HEALTH & SAFETY Standard 2.1.1 Wellbeing and comfort Regulation 81

DOCUMENT NUMBER & TITLE QA2_17.1. Sleep and Rest Time Procedure DATE PUBLISHED August 2017 DOCUMENT VERSION v1.0 REVISION DUE DATE June 2019 APPROVED BY: Kellie Perren- Chief Operations Officer

Warning – uncontrolled when printed. This document is current at the time of printed.

©Story House Early Learning

17.1 Sleep and Rest Time Procedure Quality Area 2: CHILDREN’S HEALTH & SAFETY Standard 2.1.1 Wellbeing and comfort Regulation 81 Sleep and rest

PURPOSE

At Story House Early Learning our aim is to meet each child’s individual needs for sleep, rest and relaxation in a safe and caring manner that takes into consideration the preferences and practices of each child’s family.

SCOPE

This procedure applies to all children, educators, visitors and management of the Service

IMPLEMENTATION

Service Manager /Nominated Supervisor/ Responsible person will: • Take reasonable steps to ensure that children’s needs are being met by giving them the

opportunity to rest, having regard to the ages, developmental stages and individual needs of each child

• Ensure there are adequate number of bedding available to children that meet Australian Standards

• Ensure the area for rest is well ventilated and has natural lighting • Ensure safe supervision of children whilst they rest their bodies • Train educators to fulfil their roles effectively, including being made aware of the sleep and rest

policies, their responsibilities in implementing these, and any changes that are made over time • Ensure that when children rest, they do so laying head to toe to minimise cross infection • Ensure information from Red Nose Education is displayed and made available for families

regarding safe sleeping for under 2’s • Undertake supervision planning and the placement of educators across the service allows

educators to adequately supervise sleeping and resting children • Ensure consultation with families occurs about their child’s individual needs and be sensitive to

different values and parenting beliefs, cultural or otherwise, associated with sleep and rest • Ensure the Babies sleep check chart is completed each day to record the sleeping cycles of young

children

Educators will in regard to children over 24 months: • Consult with families about children’s rest needs • Be sensitive to each child’s needs so that rest times are a positive experience • Ensure that beds/mattresses are clean and in good repair • Ensure beds are wiped over between each use and stored hygienically • Ensure that bed linen is clean and in good repair • Ensure bed linen is used by an individual child and will be washed before use by another child




• Arrange children’s beds to allow easy access for children and staff • Create a relaxing environment for children to rest by playing relaxation music, reading stories,

cultural reflection, turning off lights and ensuring children are comfortably clothed • Sit near children encouraging them to relax and listen to music

Remember that children do not need to be “patted” to sleep. By providing a quiet, tranquil environment that is conducive to rest, children will choose to sleep if their body needs it

• Not force children to rest or sleep nor make them lie on beds for unnecessary periods of time • Maintain adequate supervision and maintain educator ratios throughout the rest time period • Assess each child’s circumstances and current health to determine whether higher supervision

levels and checks may be required • Communicate with families about their child’s rest time and the service policy regarding the

rest time period • Respect family preferences regarding rest and consider these daily while ensuring children feel

safe and secure in the environment. Conversations with families may be necessary to remind families that children will neither be forced to rest nor prevented from resting

• Encourage children to dress appropriately for the room temperature when resting. Lighter clothing is preferable, with children encouraged to remove shoes, jumpers, jackets and bulky clothing

• Monitor the room temperature to ensure maximum comfort for the children • Help children learn about their needs for rest and comfort and where appropriate negotiate the

need for sleep and rest with children. Children will be encouraged to communicate their needs where possible and to make appropriate decisions

• Closely monitor sleeping and resting children and the sleep and rest environments. This involves checking/inspecting sleeping children at regular intervals, and ensuring they are always within sight and hearing distance of sleeping and resting children so that they can assess a child’s breathing and the colour of their skin. Factors to be considered include the age of the child, medical conditions, individual needs and history of health and/or sleep issues

• Ensure all children sleep and rest with their face uncovered • Provide children who do not require sleep or rest with quiet activities • Support children who need rest and relaxation outside our designated “rest period” • Group children in a way that minimises overcrowding • Comfort children when required

Educators will in regard to babies (birth to 24 months) – follow the recommendation by Red Nose Education:

• Babies should be placed on their back to sleep when first being settled. Once a baby has been observed to repeatedly roll from back to front and back again on their own, they can be left to find their own preferred sleep or rest position (this is usually around 5–6 months of age). Babies aged younger than 5–6 months, and who have not been observed to repeatedly roll from back to front and back again on their own, should be re-positioned onto their back when they roll onto their front or side




* Red Nose Education 2017 • Babies over four months of age can generally turn over in a cot. When a baby is placed to sleep,

educators should check that any bedding is tucked in secure and is not loose. Babies of this age may be placed in a safe baby sleeping bag (i.e. with fitted neck and arm holes, but no hood)

• At no time should a baby’s face or head be covered (i.e. with linen) • To prevent a baby from wriggling down under bed linen, they should be positioned with their

feet at the bottom of the cot • Allow older babies to find their own sleeping position if they move after being placed on their

back to rest

*Red Nose Education 2017

• Ensure quilts and doonas are not used as bed linen, and that pillows, soft toys, lamb’s wool and cot bumpers are also not used

• Use light bedding as the preferred option, and tuck all bedding in to prevent a baby from pulling it over their head. Sleeping bags with a fitted neck and arm holes (and no hood) may also be used instead of bed linen

• Play calm, relaxing music • Provide dummies if required but they are not to be attached to chains to prevent strangulation • Babies will not be placed in cots with their bottles • Physically check babies while they are sleeping. This involves checking/inspecting sleeping

children at regular intervals, and ensuring they are always within sight and hearing distance of sleeping and resting children so that they can assess a child’s breathing and the colour of their




skin. The checking is to be recorded on the Babies Sleep Check Chart for the period they are asleep

• All cots sold in Australia must meet the current mandatory Australian Standard for Cots (AS/NZS 2172), and should carry a label to indicate this

• Bassinets, hammocks and prams/strollers do not carry safety codes for sleep. Babies should not be left in a bassinet, hammock or pram/stroller to sleep, as these are not safe substitutes for a cot

• Mattresses should be in good condition; they should be clean, firm and flat, and fit the cot base with not more than a 20mm gap between the mattress sides and ends

• Mattresses should not be elevated or tilted. Testing by hand is not recommended as accurate in assessing compliance with the AS/NZ Standard

Documents

QA2 17.1. Sleep and Rest Time Procedure v1.0 · 17.1 Sleep and Rest Time Procedure Quality Area 2: CHILDREN’S HEALTH & SAFETY Standard 2.1.1 Wellbeing and comfort Regulation 81