Sleep policy

Every living creature needs to sleep. It is the primary activity of the brain during early development. By the time they are 3 -6 week most infants have developed a sleep-wake cycle. Sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and helps each child achieve their full potential as it directly impacts on their mental and physical development.

For this reason we will:

• Let a child sleep when they are tired
• Let a child sleep as long as they need and wake naturally whenever possible. We will take into account information about the child’s sleep routines given to us by their parents/carers and discuss with them their child’s individual needs and how best to manage these
• Not force a child to sleep
• Give a reasonable amount of time for children to rest or get to sleep
• Ensure that the children have a safe and comfortable environment to sleep in
• Make children comfortable and safe if they fall asleep in an area other than the sleep area e.g. in the book corner on cushions etc
• Let children sleep at times other than the designated sleep time according to their individual needs
• Most children do not nap after 5 years of age

For more guidance on sleep we recommend the following website: www.sleepfoundation.org