Thousands of licensed childcare centres across Canada may not be ensuring that children get adequate, healthy sleep due to inconsistent sleep regulations. A new UBC study led by pediatric sleep expert and nursing professor emeritus Dr. Wendy Hall found that sleep regulations for licensed childcare facilities vary widely across Canadian provinces and territories, often leaving centers without clear guidelines to support children's sleep needs.
We found significant disparities in sleep-related regulations across provinces and territories. 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." Dr. Wendy Hall, pediatric sleep expert and nursing professor emeritus 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There are operating manuals available to help licensees interpret regulations but many manuals are years out of date. Dr..