Let’s be completely honest for a second. Sleep times in an early years setting can sometimes feel like the only moment of calm in an otherwise beautifully chaotic day. When the children are finally down, you catch your breath, wipe down the tables, and prep for the afternoon.
But as practitioners, we also know that sleep time carries our highest duty of care.
The Department for Education (DfE) recently updated its statutory guidance regarding safer sleep practices in early years settings, aligning directly with the latest evidence from the Lullaby Trust. It isn't just a compliance box to tick for management; it is life-saving training that belongs to us—the people on the floor.
Here is a quick, bite-sized breakdown of what the rules actually mean for your daily routine, without the heavy legal jargon.
1. The Under-12-Months "Clear Cot" Mandate
If you work with infants under a year old, your cot setup needs to look incredibly minimalist. The updated guidance is strict about eliminating anything that could pose a risk of overheating or breathing obstruction.
The Rule: The cot must be entirely clear. No soft toys, no cot bumpers, and no loose, bulky blankets.
The Practice: If a child uses a blanket, it must be lightweight and tucked in firmly, no higher than their armpits (the "feet-to-foot" position). If your setting uses baby sleep bags, ensure they are the correct size for the child’s weight, have no hood, and are appropriate for the room's temperature.
2. The "Travel Transition" Rule (No Sneaky Car Seat Naps!)
We’ve all been there: you’ve taken the double buggies out for a lovely walk, and a couple of the babies fall fast asleep in the pushchair or travel seats. It is incredibly tempting to just leave them in there to finish their nap once you get back to the room.
The new guidance explicitly addresses this.
The Rule: Car seats, pushchairs, and travel systems are designed for transport, not routine sleep.
The Practice: If a baby under 12 months falls asleep while you are out and about, they must be transitioned to a flat, clear mattress or cot as soon as you return to the setting. Sleeping at an angle in a car seat or stroller can cause a young baby's chin to drop toward their chest, which can restrict their airway.
3. The 16–20°C Sweet Spot (And Handling Summer)
Monitors are great, but your professional judgment is your best asset here. The guidance reinforces that the ideal room temperature for safe sleep is between 16°C and 20°C.
As we head into the warmer months, keeping rooms at this temperature can be a real battle.
The Practice: Check your room thermometer at the start of every sleep shift. If the room is running hot, adjust the child's clothing down to a single layer or a lighter tog sleep bag. Keep blinds drawn during the morning to block out direct sunlight, and ensure there is safe, gentle air circulation in the room (without fans blowing directly onto a sleeping child).
💬 Safer Sleep 2026: Your Frequently Asked Questions
"Wait, I thought we were already supposed to be doing all of this? Why is this a 'new' update?"
You are completely right—the actual safety practices (like lying babies on their backs and avoiding cot bumpers) have been standard NHS and Lullaby Trust best practice for years.
What is changing is the law. Previously, the EYFS framework simply included a vague link to external NHS advice. Following high-profile, tragic incidents in the sector, the Department for Education (DfE) has taken that guidance and written it directly into the statutory text of the EYFS.
The official DfE guidance was published on 20 April 2026, and it becomes a strict statutory mandate in the updated EYFS framework from September 2026. This means these rules are no longer just "best practice suggestions"—they are strict legal requirements that Ofsted will look for in black and white.
"Are there separate rules for children over 12 months old?"
Yes. While the most rigid restrictions are targeted at babies under a year old to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the 2026 update explicitly addresses children over 12 months to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood (SUDC).
For children over 12 months, the rules adapt in three major ways:
Comforters: Soft toys and sleep comforters (like muslins or teddies) can be used to help settle children aged over 12 months. (They remain strictly banned for under-12s). However, as a matter of best practice, you should still slide them away once the child is deeply asleep.
Prams & Buggies: The DfE explicitly states that a pushchair or pram—even a lie-flat one—should never be used as a child's main routine sleep space in a nursery. If an older toddler falls asleep on a walk, they should, where possible, be transitioned to a proper flat mattress or floor mat upon return.
The "Clear Surface" Rule: Toddlers over 12 months no longer require a cot and can sleep on low beds or firm mats on the floor, but their sleep surface must still remain completely flat, firm, and free of loose, bulky clutter.
"Can we use baby monitors instead of sitting in the room?"
It depends entirely on the age of the child:
Under 6 months: A physical adult must be present in the room with the sleeping baby at all times. No exceptions.
Over 6 months (including toddlers): You can use a baby monitor to supervise sleep, but only if the monitor allows the children to be both seen and heard at all times. Audio-only monitors are not sufficient under the 2026 rules. Even with a video monitor, you must continue to perform and record regular, physical breathing and temperature checks on the floor.
"What should we do if a baby rolls onto their tummy during a nap?"
The DfE's April 2026 clarification is very clear on this. You must always place babies down to sleep on their backs at the start of a nap. However, once a baby is developed enough to easily and confidently roll from their back to their front—and back again—by themselves, you do not need to keep flipping them over. They are safe to find their own comfortable sleeping position, provided their sleep space is entirely clear.