Sleep Smart is more than safe sleep education - it’s a relationship-centred, developmentally informed approach that transforms how educators support infants, toddlers and their families.

Grounded in Red Nose safe sleep recommendations and aligned with the National Quality Framework and ACECQA quality standards, Sleep Smart goes beyond compliance. While Red Nose provides the evidence-based guidance on how babies should sleep safely, and ACECQA sets the standards and expectations for high-quality practice - including safe, consistent sleep and rest routines - Sleep Smart adds what many programs leave out: how to understand and support a child’s emotional wellbeing at sleep time.

By upskilling educators in responsive caregiving, attachment-aware practice and developmental understanding, Sleep Smart strengthens the quality of care across early childhood settings and leads to:

• Calmer, more predictable sleep environments;
• Improved child–educator relationships
• More confident and capable educators, and;
• Better outcomes for families

Through the program, educators learn:

• To build warm, responsive connection before sleep;
• Settle children using gentle, respectful and developmentally informed strategies;
• Support co-regulation so children feel safe and understood; and
• Create calm, predictable and nurturing sleep spaces that promote emotional safety and security