Safe sleep practice is an essential part of protecting babies and young children in Early Years settings. Babies are particularly vulnerable while sleeping and rely on practitioners to provide safe sleep environments, appropriate supervision and consistent routines that follow current safer sleep guidance.
This CPD-accredited course on Safe Sleeping in Early Years has been designed specifically for Early Years practitioners, baby room staff, childminders and managers. It provides practical guidance to help practitioners understand safer sleep recommendations, recognise potential hazards and apply safe and consistent sleep practices within their setting.
Learners will explore important areas including safe sleep positioning, suitable sleep environments, overheating, bedding and sleep equipment, supervision and sleep checks, recording procedures and responding to individual needs. The course also considers how practitioners can work effectively with parents and carers when home routines or preferences differ from safer sleep guidance.
Through realistic Early Years scenarios, interactive activities and reflection tasks, learners will develop the confidence to identify unsafe practices, make appropriate decisions and apply safer sleep guidance during everyday routines.
The course supports a consistent, safeguarding-focused approach to sleep — helping practitioners understand not only what safer sleep practice looks like, but why it matters, so that babies can sleep in environments that prioritise their safety, comfort and wellbeing.
Why This Course Matters
Safe sleep practice is an essential part of protecting babies’ safety, wellbeing, and development within Early Years settings.
Babies rely on adults to provide safe sleep environments, appropriate supervision, and consistent care practices during sleep routines. Understanding safer sleep guidance helps practitioners reduce avoidable sleep-related risks and support babies’ safety while they are in their care.
Sleep routines form part of everyday practice within many Early Years settings, particularly within baby rooms. Practitioners must be able to recognise potential hazards, maintain safe sleep environments, and follow consistent procedures that support babies’ wellbeing.
This course focuses on practical, real-world safer sleep practice, helping practitioners develop confidence in applying current guidance and supporting safe, consistent care across their setting.
The course is aligned with current UK safer sleep guidance and best practice, including:
- The Lullaby Trust safer sleep guidance
- NHS safer sleep recommendations
- Care Inspectorate expectations
- Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) safeguarding and welfare requirements
- Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)
- Health and Social Care Standards
- National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland
By completing this course, you will be better equipped to support safer sleep routines, contribute to safeguarding responsibilities, and help create environments where babies can sleep safely and comfortably.
What You Will Learn
This course will give you the knowledge and practical skills to confidently support safer sleep practice within Early Years settings.
You will learn how to:
- Understand the importance of safer sleep practice in Early Years environments
- Recognise common sleep-related risks and hazards
- Identify unsafe sleep practices and sleep environments
- Create and maintain safe sleep spaces for babies
- Understand safe sleep positioning and current safer sleep guidance
- Recognise overheating risks and how to reduce them
- Monitor and supervise sleeping babies appropriately
- Carry out and record sleep checks effectively
- Understand the importance of accurate recording and reporting
- Communicate professionally with parents and carers regarding safer sleep
- Follow safer sleep policies, procedures, and safeguarding responsibilities
- Promote safe, consistent sleep routines across your setting
By the end of this course, you will feel more confident in supporting babies during sleep routines, recognising potential risks, and applying safer sleep guidance within your everyday Early Years practice.
Designed for Early Years Professionals
This course is suitable for anyone working in Early Learning and Childcare settings who has a responsibility for supporting babies during sleep routines and promoting safer sleep practice. It is particularly relevant for:
- Early Years practitioners
- Nursery and preschool staff
- Baby room staff
- Childminders
- Playworkers
- Teaching assistants
- Early Years students and trainees
- Room leaders and managers
The course is designed to support both new and experienced practitioners by providing practical, real-world guidance that can be applied during everyday sleep routines within Early Years settings.
No prior training is required to complete this course.
Interactive and Practical Learning
✔ Short lesson videos with clear, practical guidance
✔ Real-life Early Years scenarios to support understanding and decision-making
✔ Interactive activities, including multimedia tasks, drag-and-drop exercises, knowledge checks, and scenario-based learning
✔ Reflection activities linked to everyday sleep routines and professional practice
✔ Downloadable resources, templates, and practical safer sleep tools
✔ Final 12-question assessment (80% pass mark)
✔ Instant CPD certificate on successful completion
The course is fully online, mobile-friendly, and self-paced — allowing you to complete your training at a time that suits you.
Throughout the course, the focus remains on practical, safeguarding-focused strategies that can be applied immediately to support safer sleep practice within Early Years settings.
Accreditation and CPD
This course is CPD accredited by The CPD Group and has been awarded 2 CPD Credits.
Upon successful completion of the course and final assessment, learners will receive a CPD-accredited certificate, which can be downloaded immediately and used as evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
This course can be used to support:
✔ CPD portfolios and professional development records
✔ Staff induction and refresher training
✔ Nursery and Early Years staff training records
✔ Care Inspectorate and Ofsted inspection evidence
✔ Safer sleep policies and procedures
✔ Professional development reviews and appraisals
The course includes interactive learning activities, realistic Early Years scenarios, reflection tasks and a final assessment designed to reinforce safe and consistent practice.
CPD Credit Value: 2 Credits
Approximate Duration: 1.5 Hours
Certificate: CPD-accredited certificate on successful completion
Assessment: Final assessment with an 80% pass mark
This training supports practitioners in maintaining up-to-date knowledge of safer sleep practice and their responsibilities when caring for sleeping babies within Early Years settings.
Protect Children. Protect Yourself. Protect Your Setting.
Supporting babies to sleep safely requires knowledge, confidence, and a commitment to following safer sleep guidance consistently within Early Years settings.
Enrol today and strengthen your understanding of safer sleep practice, sleep-related risks, supervision responsibilities, and safe sleep environments.
Develop the practical skills needed to recognise potential hazards, create safe sleep spaces, monitor sleeping babies appropriately, communicate effectively with parents and carers, and support babies’ safety and wellbeing during everyday sleep routines.
