REST AND SLEEP

 

Policy and procedure

Throughout the day children will be given the opportunity to rest and sleep appropriate to their age/stage of development and their individual needs. The individual sleep and rest pattern of children will be discussed and agreed with parents and met as far as possible within the daily routine.

Rest times
    Comfortable areas and an appropriate environment will be provided to allow children to rest as and when they wish to throughout the day.
    Opportunities will be given for children to sit quietly, listen to music, look at books and be read or sung to.

Sleep times
    Staff will recognise that children have individual needs when being settled to sleep.
    Comfort items such as blankets, toys from home etc., will be used in line with
             parent’s wishes and never used as a punishment or bribe.
    Staff will ensure that children are clean and comfortable before being settled to sleep.

An appropriate environment will be provided to encourage children to settle to
sleep such as:
    Drawn blinds/curtains to darken the room.
    Sufficient room between beds and cots to prevent disturbance.
    Relaxing music played.
    Children who are not sleeping or are unable to settle may be taken to another area to prevent disruption.

In order to ensure that children sleep safely:
    Children will be provided with a cot or bed for their use at nursery, dependent on parent’s wishes.
    Personal bedding will be provided which is clean and in good condition.
    Babies will be slept in line with the most up to date guidance on safe practice from relevant bodies such as the Department of Health or FSIDS.
    Babies who are sleeping will be checked at a minimum of 10-minute intervals. A record of these checks will be maintained.
    In addition to these checks intercoms will be used when babies are sleeping in sleep rooms.
    Older children will be supervised at all times while sleeping.

Staff will help children to settle to sleep by:
    Rocking them.
    Comforting them.
    Rubbing their back or hair.
    Singing to them.
    Reading to them.

Physical restraint will never be used when settling a child to sleep. If a child does not settle to sleep after a period of time, they will be allowed to get up and play in another room.