Nursery World - Positive Relationships: Let's talk about ... Sleep

Should young children be allowed to sleep at nursery, or is it likely to keep them awake at night? Annette Rawstrone spoke to childcare practitioners.

Q: Do you have a sleep policy at your setting?

'Our policy is that we go by the needs of the child. We do not have a set time for children to sleep, unlike some nurseries. The staff liaise with parents daily and there is a questionnaire they fill in on their child's routine when they start at nursery.'

'I worked in a pre-school where it was thought that three-year-olds did not need to sleep. I once found a child asleep on the toilet floor.'

'We put a sleep policy in place after a lot of parents were asking for us to not allow their child to sleep during the day. We explained to the parents the importance of sleep for children's development and how it affects their behaviour. Now we give children the minimum of half an hour sleep if the child falls asleep unaided.'

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