Introduction 

At Wise Owls Childcare, we aim to ensure that all children have sufficient sleep to support their development and facilitate their natural sleeping rhythms, in a safe environment. The safety of babies’ sleeping is of paramount importance. Our policy follows the advice provided by The Tommy’s Charity, Lullaby Trust and NHS to minimise the risk of Sudden Infant Death, (SID). We additionally follow safer sleep guidance from the EYFS Framework.  

Good Practice to minimise the risk of SIDS: 

1. Babies are placed on their backs to sleep, if a baby has rolled onto their tummy, they should be returned to their back. Once a baby can independently roll from back to front and back again, they can be left to find their own position. 
2. Babies/toddlers are never put down to sleep with a bottle to self-feed. 
3. Babies/toddlers are monitored visually when sleeping.  
4. Babies under the age of 12 months are placed in a cot  
5. If a baby aged under 12 months falls asleep on a walk in a pushchair, their keyworker will lie the pushchair flat and they will be transferred to their cot once back at the setting. 

Measures taken to ensure a safe sleeping environment is provided:  

1. Monitor the room temperature to ensure it remains between 16-20 degrees C. 
2. Babies are appropriately dressed for sleep to avoid overheating; clean, light bedding/blankets are provided. 
3. Sleep spaces should only contain a firm, flat, waterproof mattress and lightweight bedding which is firmly tucked in around the child below their shoulders to prevent head covering. Alternatively, a well fitted baby sleep bag may be used. Check the manufacturer recommendations before using a baby sleep bag. 
4. Where blankets are used, the child is placed feet-to-foot at the bottom of the cot, with blankets tucked in. 
5. Cots must not contain extra items such as toys, pillows, extra blankets, bumpers, wedges or straps. Cots and sleep areas are kept free of clutter.  
6. Safety-approved cots or other suitable sleeping equipment is provided (i.e., pods or mats) that are compliant with British Standard regulations. 
7. Baby monitors are in place for sleep rooms 
8. Blinds are checked in the sleep room on a regular basis to ensure they are safe, clean and fit for purpose. 
9. Comforters are provided when required and are assessed by Room Manager that they are safe. 
10. Cots are checked to ensure fit for purpose before a baby is placed within the cot 
11. Cot and mat cleaning are followed at all times 
12. All spaces around cots and sleeping mats are kept free of hanging objects i.e., hanging cords, blind cords, drawstring bags.  
13. All children sleeping on floor mats sleep head to toe adjacent to each other. 
14. Only one child per mat or cot.  
15. Every baby/toddler is provided with clean bedding every 2 weeks unless dirty. 
16. Any baby who falls asleep, whilst being comforted by a practitioner, is transferred to a safe sleeping surface to complete their rest. 
17. A No Smoking Policy is in place. 

The Lullaby trust promotes the ABCs of safer sleep: 

ALWAYS sleep a baby on their BACK in a CLEAR cot or sleep space. 

Sleep checks 

• There is a sleep monitor poster on display whereby the practitioner on sleep check duty will be named for effective delegation and complete all sleep checks. 

• Children are always in sight and hearing of staff when asleep.   

• Sleep Checks are recorded every 10 minutes for children above 6 months. As good practice, we monitor babies under six months every five minutes.  

• When a staff member completes a sleep check, they will look for the rise and fall of the chest and if the sleep position has changed.  

• They will check there are no risks in the room, ensure nothing is covering their face ie. Comforter, blanket.  

• Ensure the room still remains at a good temperature (16-20 degrees C) and that the child is still sleeping safely and there are no risks. 

• The times the child slept will be recorded on the digital system along with the sleep checks  

• If a child sleeps outside of the set sleep time they will be monitored by the educator caring for them 

Collaboration with parents  

Parents complete an ‘All about me’ form when they first join the nursery so practitioners can understand the child’s sleep routine and any comforters they have. We share NHS information with parents.  We recognise and celebrate parents’ knowledge of their child’s sleep routines; where possible, we seek to emulate this routine within the setting.  

At the end of the day, staff discuss any changes in sleep routines, share observations and provide information to parents.  

Staff induction 

Prior to placing children to sleep and conducting checks new employees will read the policy as part of their induction and their line Manager will demonstrate the sleep process and observe the employee before the safe sleep induction is signed off.  

Refresher training 

All staff will have a sleep check observation conducted yearly by their line Manager to ensure they are following this process to ensure the preparation of the sleep area is safe and they conduct sleep checks as per the process, any gaps in the process will be retrained.  Information will be shared with staff from the NHS on the risk of SIDS. https://www.nhs.uk/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/