Sleep

HS8 Sleep monitoring

Criteria

A procedure for monitoring children's sleep is implemented, and information is communicated to parents about their child's daily sleep patterns.

Documentation required

A procedure for monitoring children's sleep.

The procedure ensures that children:

• do not have access to food or liquids while in bed and
• are checked for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing at least every 10 to 15 minutes (during day-time sleep), or more frequently according to individual needs.

Rationale/intent

The criterion aims to uphold the safety and wellbeing of children while they are sleeping and minimise risk of harm.

Guidance

Educators need to implement a procedure for monitoring children’s sleep and keep a record of children’s sleep times.

Documentation guidance

A documented sleep procedure ensures that there is a consistent approach by educators to monitor the safety and wellbeing of children while sleeping. It will clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of the educator when children are sleeping.

If the child is sleeping in a room positioned reasonably close to where other children are playing, it is easier for the educator to regularly check children.

Keeping a record of sleeping times and checks by educators will ensure that parents have access to information about their child's sleeping patterns each day while they are in the care of the educator.

Keep the sleep records for the current year plus 1 additional year.

It demonstrates the fulfilment of the service’s duty of care. That children have been suitably monitored while sleeping to ensure their safety and wellbeing while in the care of the service. Coordinators should check the monitoring of sleeping times.

If ever a dispute were to arise between a parent and service regarding the care of their child around sleep, it would be useful for the service to be able to refer the parent to the documented procedure to demonstrate that good practice occurred.

Things to consider

The use of technology does not reduce the requirement to physically enter the room and check on the sleeping child at least every 10 to 15 minutes and record these checks.

Issues that should be considered when using sleep monitoring technology in addition to the physical checks include:

• privacy and the collection of images and recordings
• maintenance of technology and associated batteries
• training in operation of technology
• testing accuracy and responsiveness of the technology
• circumstances where the technology will not be appropriate for example power cuts, child is unwell; and
• the agreement of the parents and/or guardians involved.

HS9 Sleep furniture spacing

Criteria

Furniture or items intended for children to sleep on (such as cots, beds, stretchers, or mattresses) are arranged and spaced when in use so that:

• adults have clear access to at least one side (meaning the length, not the width)
• the area surrounding each child allows sufficient air movement (to minimise the risk of spreading illness) and
• children able to sit or stand can do so safely as they wake.

Rationale/intent

The criterion aims to ensure that sleeping provisions are arranged so that they do not present a hazard to children's safety and wellbeing.

Guidance

Allowing plenty of space between sleeping children will enable good air flow, limiting cross infection and children disturbing others. Sleep areas must be well ventilated to allow air to circulate.

The space between sleep furniture/items needs to allow the educator to easily check on children, ensure they are not too hot or cold, and check their breathing and enables the educator or other adults to move between them quickly in an emergency.

If children are capable of standing up in their cot or bed, ensure that there are no choking hazards within reach for example curtain cords.

Things to consider

Consider using more than 1 room in the home to have children sleeping if this is possible. It can be difficult to provide undisturbed sleep for a child if other children in the same room are unsettled.

HS10 Storage of sleep furniture and bedding

Criteria

If not permanently set up, furniture or items intended for children to sleep on (such as cots, beds, stretchers or mattresses) and bedding is hygienically stored when not in use.

Rationale/intent

The criterion aims to prevent cross-infection by ensuring that sleep provisions used periodically (that is, not permanently set up) are hygienically stored when not in use.

Guidance

Furniture such as cots, beds, stretchers or mattresses and bedding that is used periodically needs to be hygienically stored when not in use to prevent cross-infection. Spraying and wiping cots, beds and mattresses with a suitable cleaning agent is needed before storage. Linen must be removed from the mattresses and not stacked in between mattresses.

If bedding is to be used for the same child over the course of a week it could be either labelled with the child’s name or in a labelled bag.

There will need to be adequate hygienic storage for this purpose. You will also need to ensure that the storage does not create hazards to children but is easily accessible to the educator. For bedding, this could be in the linen cupboard.

Areas used for storage of sleep furniture should be dry and well aired.