Researchers call for more consistent standards on ECEC sleep and rest

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services should have more consistent standards regarding sleep and rest, experts have argued, saying these standards are necessary to ensure children’s health and well-being.

While the research is being conducted in Canada, the findings have relevance for the Australian ECEC context also. Led by pediatric sleep expert and nursing professor emeritus Dr. Wendy Hall at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the recent study found that sleep regulations for licensed childcare facilities vary widely across Canadian provinces and territories, often leaving centres without clear guidelines to support children’s sleep needs.

The piece below is an adapted Q&A with Dr Hall. For the full transcript please see here. 

What does the study reveal about sleep regulations for ECEC services across Canada?

“We found significant disparities in sleep-related regulations across provinces and territories,” Dr Hall began. 

“For instance, B.C. regulations lack specific guidelines about general or daily sleep programming, focusing instead on maintaining a safe sleep environment through factors like positioning, equipment safety and prohibited practices. Alberta’s regulatory requirements do not specify sleep programming or space but do specify required staffing. In the Atlantic provinces, regulations vary about programming incorporating time for rest or sleep into the day. Ontario regulations specify daily sleep amounts, dedicated age-specific sleep space and equipment, and sleep staffing, positioning and monitoring, and prohibited practices. Quebec regulations do not specify general or daily sleep programming, staffing during sleep/rest, sleep positioning or sleep monitoring. There are operating manuals available to help licensees interpret regulations but many manuals are years out of date.”

Why are these findings concerning?

For Dr Hall, the findings are concerning because nearly three-quarters of children in Canada are in childcare settings – 56 per cent are in some form of childcare and an additional 26 per cent are on waitlists. 

The lack of consistent regulations, she believes, creates confusion regarding the appropriate number and length of naps/rest periods for children, particularly across various age groups. 

Although naps are crucial for development, many centres prioritise only one rest period per day, which may not meet infants’ needs or may exceed needs of three- to four-year-olds.

The definition of an “infant” also varies among provinces – the age range can vary from 12 to 24 months – which affects sleep space and equipment guidelines and children’s development.

There are equity concerns as well. Children from lower socio-economic backgrounds who may not sleep as long at night can particularly benefit from access to naps in the day – but there are no consistent provisions for this across childcare in Canada.

Read the findings in full here.