Safe sleep in nursery: the EYFS rules from September 2026

From 1 September 2026 the EYFS sets out exactly how children under two must be put down to sleep: on their back, in their own clear sleep space on a firm, flat mattress, with their head uncovered, and always within sight and hearing of staff. Babies aged 12 months and under must only sleep in a cot, carrycot, Moses basket or travel cot. Babies under six months must have an adult in the room for every sleep, and every sleeping child must be checked frequently.

This is paragraph 3.86 in both the group and school-based framework and the childminder framework, and the wording is the same in both. It applies in England. The 2025 framework only required sleeping children to be checked frequently, cots and bedding to be in good condition, and babies to be put down in line with NHS guidance; the 2026 version brings the detail into the framework itself. Ofsted has said inspectors will collect evidence that settings understand and are implementing these requirements from September 2026.

What does the EYFS require for children under two?

Requirement	Detail
Position	On their back, every sleep
Sleep space	Their own, separate space on a firm, flat surface (a cot, bed or mattress on the floor)
Babies 12 months and under	A cot only: cot, carrycot, Moses basket or travel cot
What goes in it	A firm, flat, waterproof mattress and lightweight bedding tucked in no higher than the shoulders, or a well-fitted sleep bag
Blankets	Feet-to-foot, at the bottom of the cot, tucked in
Nothing else	No toys, pillows, extra blankets, bumpers, wedges or straps
Temperature	Not too hot or cold; 16–20°C is recommended for babies
Heads	Never covered
Under six months	An adult in the same room for every sleep
Checks	All children checked frequently while asleep
Supervision	Always within sight and hearing of staff

The framework also tells practitioners they must read the NHS advice on sudden infant death syndrome, and points to The Lullaby Trust for more.

For children over two, the framework’s headline duty still applies: babies and children must be placed down to sleep safely. Your general supervision duties apply too. Most settings will find it simpler, and safer, to run the same checks for every sleeping child.

Why floor beds had to go

DfE’s guidance is explicit: floor beds, also called coracles or sleep pods, do not meet the cot requirement for babies aged 12 months and under, because of safety concerns about their lowered sides. If your baby room used them, replacing them is not optional, and there is no transition period in the framework. Check that cots meet the British Standards DfE lists (for example BS EN 716-1:2017 for cots and travel cots) and use them as the manufacturer intends.

For children over 12 months, a suitable mattress on the floor is still an acceptable sleep space, as long as it is clear, flat and firm.

Sleep checks: what should you record?

The framework says frequently. It does not give a number of minutes, and neither does DfE’s guidance. That makes the interval your decision, so write it down, explain your reasoning in your sleep policy, and apply it to every child. Shorter intervals for young babies and for a child who is unwell or new to the setting are sensible.

A check is not a glance across the room. Look at each child and confirm:

• they are still on their back, or have rolled themselves (see below)
• their head and face are uncovered
• their breathing and colour look normal
• they are not too hot: feel the chest or back of the neck, not hands and feet, which are usually cooler
• bedding is still tucked in, or the sleep bag has not ridden up

Once a baby can roll from back to front and back again on their own, they can find their own position. Keep putting them down on their back.

A sleep check record structure

One sheet per room per day works well, with a row per child and columns for checks.

Field	Notes
Child’s name and age	Age tells you which rules apply
Sleep space	Which cot or mattress, so you know where they were
Time put down, and by whom
Position put down	Back, for every under-two
Sleep bag or blanket, and tog or layers	Helps judge overheating
Room temperature at start	Recorded from a room thermometer
Adult in the room (under six months)	Name, and the times they were there
Each check: time, position, head uncovered, breathing and colour, temperature by touch, initials	One cell per check
Time woke, and how	Woke naturally, or was woken at parent’s request
Anything notable	Unsettled, a rolled position, bedding adjusted, a concern raised

Parents often want to know how long their child slept. The same record answers that at collection.

Car seats, buggies and falling asleep on the move

This is the easiest rule to let slip, because a sleeping child in a buggy is easy to leave.

• Car seats. If a baby or child falls asleep in a car seat, they must be moved to their own sleep space as soon as you get back to the setting.
• Babies 12 months and under who fall asleep while travelling must be moved to their cot on return.
• Children over 12 months should, where possible, be moved to their own clear, flat, firm sleep space when you get back. A lie-flat pram or pushchair should not be their main sleep space.
• Clothing. Take off hats and extra layers once you are indoors, and adjust coats and blankets so they do not overheat.

The Lullaby Trust advises against sleeping babies in any seated or inclined position, including buggies, bouncy chairs and car seats, because a chin resting on the chest can narrow the airway.

When parents want a different routine

Parents will ask for things their baby does at home: sleeping on their front, in the pram, with a favourite blanket over them, with a cot bumper. Some of these are ordinary preferences you can meet, such as a nap at a particular time or a story before sleep. Others would break a requirement that says “must”, and a parent’s wishes cannot override those.

A script that keeps the relationship intact:

“I can see he settles best that way at home, and we want him to settle here too. The rules we work under say every baby has to go down on their back in a clear cot, and we check that on every sleep, for every child. What we can do is copy the rest of your routine: the same sleeping bag, the same song, the same time. Can you tell me what else helps him drift off?”

Then write down what you agreed. The Lullaby Trust suggests settings have a written policy that helps staff explain safer sleep to parents. Share it at the start, before the first nap, so the conversation is about your policy rather than about one family. For more on the early weeks, see settling in.

Sleep room checklist

Run this before the first sleep of the day, and after any room change.

• Every under-one has a cot, carrycot, Moses basket or travel cot; no floor beds for this age.
• Mattresses are firm, flat and waterproof, with no rips, sagging or gaps at the sides.
• Cots contain only the mattress and lightweight tucked bedding, or a sleep bag of the right size.
• No toys, pillows, bumpers, wedges, straps or loose blankets in under-ones’ cots; comforters only for over-ones.
• Room thermometer reads 16–20°C for babies; heating, sun and radiators checked.
• Cots are away from blind cords, radiators, heaters and anything a child can pull in.
• Lighting lets staff see each child’s face and colour without disturbing them.
• A named adult is in the room whenever a baby under six months is asleep.
• Any monitor lets staff see and hear every child at all times, and is only used for over-six-months.
• Sleep check sheet is out, with the agreed interval written at the top.
• Every member of staff on shift knows the interval and who is checking.
• Children arriving asleep in a car seat or buggy are moved straight to their sleep space.