Polykids - Child Sleep

To validate children’s learning and development. To promote an environment where children’s health, both emotional and physical is nurtured.

Licensing criteria:  Reg 46: HS9; HS10; HS11

                   Reg 45: PF 29; 30; 31; 33; 34; 37; 38

National guidelines: Te Whariki - Well-Being: Goal 1: Children experience an environment where their health is promoted.

• The teacher who is assigned to sleepers will ensure that the sleeping children are checked every 5 minutes for warmth, breathing, and general wellbeing.
• The Daily Sleep Chart is initialled in each 5-minute block by a Polykids Staff member.
• Sleep room temperatures will be monitored to assure that they are at (or exceed) Ministry of Education regulations. Current regulated temperature for indoor play environment is 16 degrees.
• Parents may provide special sleeping toys for their child.
• For the purposes of sleep and settling pacifiers may be used- children are not encouraged to engage in play activities with pacifiers in mouths.
• As children wake, teachers ensure that they are adequately dressed for play and the climate.
• Adequate space is provided for children’s beds and cots to ensure safety and hygiene.
• Adults have clear access to stretchers and cots. Cots and stretchers are not to block fire exits.
• Linen is laundered weekly with certain exceptions if linen is wet or soiled or a child is In these cases, linen is laundered immediately, or, if the child has a cold or cough, when the child wakes. Linen is replaced with clean linen and the mattress/stretchers are disinfected with suitable cleaning solution and dried.
• In accordance with regulations, children do not have access to food or liquids while in bed.
• Children will not be left in Prams to sleep but will be transferred into a cot (prams are used only for transportation of a child)
• Due to the different developmental and physical requirement of each of the different age groups, both Manawa (over 2) and Whetū (under 2) have differing procedures for children who rest and sleep - please familiarise yourself with the procedures for the different environments.

Manawa (Over) 2 age group

• A supervised sleep or rest period is provided after the lunch time routine. Commencing at 12:45 pm and finishing at the latest by 2:30pm.
• Children will have outer clothing layers removed so that they are more comfortable while they sleep.
• Teachers must maintain sleep records of children. All children in the sleep rooms will be recorded on the Daily Sleep Chart where their resting or sleeping patterns will be recorded according to their, resting periods, sleeping periods and the time they woke or exited the rooms.
• A teacher will remain in the sleep room with the older children until they are all asleep.
• Children who sleep after lunch have their own individual linen and sleeping space.
• Linen is laundered weekly on a Friday.
• Each child’s bedding is stored in a linin bag between uses and is only for that child.
• Storage bags are also laundered at the end of the week with all bedding.
• Sleep spaces are positive and peaceful. Quiet relaxation music may be played to settle children to sleep.
• If a child is still sleeping when it is soon time for them to go home, the teacher rouses the child quietly and prepares them to go home before the parents arrive. Alternatively, teachers can check with the parents to see if they would like their child woken and ready to go home.
• For reasons of cultural sensitivity, children on stretchers are positioned head-to-head rather than head to feet if sleeping alongside each other.

Whētu (Under) 2 age group

• Teachers must maintain sleep records of children. All children in the sleep rooms will be recorded on the Daily Sleep Chart where their resting or sleeping patterns will be recorded according to their, entry into the rooms, resting periods, sleeping periods and the time they woke or exited the rooms.
• The use of sleep sacks is permitted- (these must be laundered weekly) as are the sheets provided by Polykids.
• Children are able to sleep at any time during the day.
• If children have a bottle prior to sleep, they will have this in the play area while being supervised by a teacher.
• Relaxing music is played in each sleep room.
• If a child is still sleeping when it is soon time for them to go home, the teacher rouses the child quietly and prepares them to go home before the parents arrive to pick him/ her up. Alternatively, teachers can check with the parents to see if they would like their child woken and ready to go home.
• For reasons of cultural sensitivity, children on stretchers are positioned head-to-head rather than head to feet if sleeping alongside each other.
• Children have nappy check/changed prior to going to bed and outer clothing is removed.