Good sleep habits are essential to the health, wellbeing, development and learning of infants and children. Early childhood educators can make a real difference in the lives of children and families by helping children to sleep well, safely.  

Early Childhood Australia and the Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute developed the Understanding sleep and safe sleep practices in early childhood education and care eLearning package with support from the Ian Potter Foundation to equip educators and managers with the confidence and tools to support safe sleep for children.

Australia has new regulations to ensure children are safe when they sleep in child care settings.

Under the National Quality Framework, early education and care settings are now required to have policies and procedures in place that unsure children are safe while they sleep.

By understanding children’s individual sleep needs and the new regulations, you and your staff can ensure children sleep safely in their early education and care setting.

Sleep eLearning package

This sleep eLearning package is developed specifically for early year’s educators, leaders and managers. It is suitable for all sector types including kindergarten, long day care and family day care.

The course is evidence-based and will help you and your team to feel confident supporting children of all ages to sleep well, safely.

It covers the full spectrum of sleep in your setting including children’s sleep needs, patterns, cues, habits, settling tips and strategies, and how to ensure safe sleep policy, practice, environments and equipment in accordance with Australian regulations.

The eLearning modules

Module one: Understanding sleep

Learn about the science of sleep, its role in children’s health, wellbeing, development and learning, how much sleep children need at different ages and ways that you and your team can help them to develop habits that give them the best chance of getting the sleep they need.

Module two: Settling and sleep problems

Discover age-appropriate strategies to help children at your setting with common settling and sleep problems, and how you and your team can support parents to understand and manage their child’s sleep and settling.

Module three: Sleep policies, procedures and practice

Deep-dive into national regulations and requirements that you and your team need to follow to ensure children’s individual sleep needs are met safely, with optimal wellbeing outcomes for the child and the family.  

Each module includes videos, interactive slides and reflective questions.

Your time and money is precious, this is an opportunity to make a big impact with just a little time and small investment: you can complete the course online in just three hours anytime, anywhere.

Target audience: early year’s educators, leaders and managers. It is suitable for all sector types including kindergarten, long day care and family day care.

Estimated duration: 3 hours (1 hour per module)

Cost: $45 (includes GST)

Registration: Content currently under review

• a certificate of completion from The Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
• tip sheets tailored for professionals and families to help you make an even bigger positive impact
• access to the course material for 12 months.