Positive Relationships: Let's talk about ... Sleep

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.'

'Our policy is not to wake a child when they are asleep. We allow them to wake up naturally.'

'Babies are allowed to sleep at any time of the day. The older children, who only need to sleep once during the day, are encouraged to have a nap after lunch and a sleep routine is soon formed.'

'We have a very relaxed ethos around sleep and personalise it to the child, rather than having a regimented sleep policy. Children never sleep with their shoes on and always have an individual snuggle blanket.'

'We encourage the children to sleep in the early afternoon because parents can be unhappy if they are allowed to sleep later in the day. But if a child is sleepy, we will let them have a nap.'

Q: Where do children sleep?

'We have a designated sleep area in the nursery. There are low beds, cots and buggies as well. Parents get the option of requesting where they would like their child to sleep while they are in nursery. The buggies are very popular, but a lot of parents don't mind as long as their child sleeps and is happy.

'We also have a quiet area in each room where there are cushions. The older children can cuddle up with a book, pull a cover over them and have a sleep or rest.'

'It depends on the individual child as to where they sleep. Buggies are sometimes the easier option in a busy nursery because the children can get rocked to sleep.'

'We have a sleep room which is audio monitored and checked by staff every 15 minutes.'

'We used to have baby swings and chairs for the babies to sleep in. We loved them because the babies liked the motion, but recently we have had to scrap them because of Department of Health regulations that said they are not good to sleep in because the posture can damage the child's back. But we do have adult rocking chairs in the baby room.'

'All the children's rooms have separate adjoining sleep rooms so that the children can be monitored. Children are allowed to sleep where they want, whether it's in a cot or on floor mats, bean bags or cushioned areas.

'We also have an outdoor sleep area, our Cosy Cottage, where there are cushions and mats for the children and babies to sleep on. The children have fantastic sleeps in there, even in winter when we just make sure they're wrapped up warm.'

'Children can choose where they sleep, including mats on the floor, but when showing parents around we have found that many do not like the idea of their child sleeping on the floor. We just find that it is some children's preference.'

Q: Have you had parents requesting that their child sleeps more or less during the day?

'Yes, we have. We do try to meet the parents' needs, but we will talk it through with the parents if the child needs more sleep. We have to go with what the parent asks us to do, but you simply can't force children either to sleep or stay awake.'

'I find it refreshing when parents are actually pleased that their child has had a long sleep, rather than worried that they will have a restless night.'

'When Ofsted said that children should not be woken up, my nursery said that instead of gently rubbing children's backs to wake them, we should make a noise. That seems much worse to me.'

'We have to honour parents' requests. If we feel that what they are asking is wrong, then we talk to the parents about the wellbeing of the child. It is hard, because at the end of the day it is the parents who are paying the fees.'

'One parent requests that their child has three hours' sleep a day. They want him to be in a cot in the sleep room. He is three years old now and does not need so much. We do get him out of the cot once he has woken up and we feel he has had long enough.'

'Most parents of babies are pleased to hear that their child has had a good sleep. It tends to be when they are toddlers that parents worry that they will not sleep well at night if they've had a long rest during the day.'

Q: Do you think parents need educating on the importance of sleep and how much sleep young children need?

'Yes, especially when it comes to young babies. We often get asked to wake them up. We organise monthly health visitor visits to the nursery and sleep is a topic that they talk about with the parents.'

'I think it is important to help educate parents. Sometimes they do not understand how lack of sleep can impact on a child for the rest of the day.'

'A lot of parents think that having a daytime nap will stop their child from sleeping at night. It's really frustrating because, from experience, we have found that a child actually sleeps better at night when they are not "over-tired".'

'Our parents often ask us for advice on sleep, especially if their child has started waking during the night.'

AN EXPERT'S VIEW - By Jean Evans, early years consultant and author

Practitioners and parents usually agree on the question of how much or how little sleep a child should have at nursery. However, occasionally this results in a conflict of opinion. How can this conflict be dealt with to restore harmony?

It is vital that the needs of the individual child should be considered first and foremost, overriding any strict nursery routines and parental timetables. Some nurseries - happily, few nowadays - still have 'rest time', with all children expected to sleep at the same time. Similarly, some parents insist their children are kept awake or that they only sleep for a specific length of time.

Discuss with parents how children's sleep routines are managed at home, and stress the importance of providing continuity by replicating these routines in the nursery - for example, giving a choice of whether to sleep in a buggy, cot, low bed or beanbag.

If parents make unrealistic demands, such as keeping their children awake, follow the advice of the practitioner who says, 'It is important to help educate parents so that they understand how lack of sleep can impact on a child.'

My tip for naps is to imagine the impact of the actual sleep environment on the child's five senses, so that the appropriate ambience for calm restful sleep can be created.

Make sure the child is in familiar surroundings and can see a familiar toy or cuddle blanket. Ensure that lighting is dim and colours are muted. Avoid bright lights and colours as well as unfamiliar objects that could be disturbing to a child who is falling asleep or just waking. Smelling and stroking a familiar cuddle blanket or soft toy, or a personal dummy, will provide comfort and aid relaxation. Calm music playing or a mobile tinkling will soothe the child, but rousing music or the sounds of other children making loud noises could stimulate them.

If you feel a policy is needed, do not make it too rigid. As one practitioner says, 'Our policy is that we go with the needs of the child.' This is definitely the way forward!

What are your experiences on this issue? To continue the discussion, go to the forum at www.nurseryworld.co.uk

FURTHER READING

• - 'A parent's guide to ... broken nights' by Penny Tassoni (Nursery World, 9 September 2010)
• - 'The Developing Brain, part 6: Sleep tight' by Annette Karmiloff-Smith (Nursery World, 21 October 2010)
• - 'Routines - Sweet dreams' by Karen Faux (Nursery Equipment, 6 May 2010)
• - 'Nursery in clash between Ofsted and its parents' by Melanie Defries (Nursery World, 9 July 2010).