Course type: Non-accredited awareness course
Delivery mode: Online self-paced
Assessment: 10 multiple-choice questions
Certificate: Non-accredited Certificate of Completion
Assessment Link – Please complete the Assessment after going through the course material thoroughly
This is a non-accredited awareness course developed using publicly available safe sleeping guidance from Red Nose Australia.
This course:
Learners should follow their organisation’s current sleep and rest policies, risk-assessment procedures and applicable regulatory requirements.
Babies are particularly vulnerable while sleeping because they cannot always move away from unsafe bedding, soft surfaces or objects that interfere with their breathing.
Safe sleeping practices aim to reduce the risk of:
Safe sleeping recommendations should be followed for every sleep, including daytime naps, overnight sleep and sleep away from home.
By the end of this course, learners should be able to:
Red Nose Australia identifies six key recommendations that help reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy.
1. Always place baby on their back to sleep
A baby should be placed on their back at the beginning of every sleep.
Back sleeping helps keep the baby’s airway clear and allows protective reflexes to work effectively. It reduces the risk of suffocation, overheating and choking.
Do not routinely place a baby:
Side sleeping is unstable because a baby may roll onto their stomach.
Continue placing the baby on their back at the start of every sleep.
When a baby can confidently roll from back to front and front to back independently, they may choose their own sleeping position. The sleep space must still remain firm, flat and clear.
Do not use restraints, wedges or sleep positioners to prevent rolling.
2. Keep baby’s head and face uncovered
A baby’s head and face must remain uncovered during sleep.
This helps:
Babies regulate temperature through their head and face. Hats, beanies, hoods and loose blankets can trap heat or cover the baby’s face.
Remove hats, beanies and hooded clothing before placing a baby to sleep indoors.
Keep baby smoke-free before and after birth
Exposure to smoking during pregnancy and after birth increases the risk of sudden infant death.
Babies should be protected from:
No one should smoke near a baby or in an area where the baby sleeps.
4. Provide a safe sleeping environment for every sleep
The safest sleep environment is generally a compliant cot with:
Red Nose describes the safest place for a baby to sleep as a safe cot with a safe mattress and safe bedding.
The cot should be kept away from:
Furniture the baby could use to climb out; and anything that could fall into the cot.
5. Sleep baby in their own safe sleep space in the same room as a parent or caregiver
Red Nose recommends that a baby sleep in their own safe sleep space in the same room as their parent or caregiver for at least the first six months.
This recommendation applies to both daytime and night-time sleep. Room sharing is different from sharing the same bed or sleep surface.
A baby should not routinely sleep:
In a baby nest or sleep pod.
In a hammock or on another soft or inclined surface.
Falling asleep with a baby on a couch or sofa creates a particularly high risk of a serious sleeping accident.
Breastfeed baby where possible
Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy.
Families who are unable to breastfeed, or who choose not to breastfeed, should still follow all other safe sleeping recommendations. Safe sleeping information must be communicated respectfully and without judgement.
Before placing a baby in a cot, check the complete sleep space.
The cot should:
Meet the applicable Australian safety standard.
Be correctly assembled.
Be in good condition.
Have secure sides and fittings.
Have no broken, loose or missing parts and be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Do not use a cot that has:
Damaged bars.
Loose screws.
Peeling paint.
Sharp edges.
Gaps that may trap the baby.
An incorrectly fitted mattress or an unapproved modification.
Report unsafe equipment immediately and prevent it from being used.
The mattress must be:
The correct size for the cot and covered with a tightly fitted sheet.
There should not be large gaps between the mattress and the sides of the cot.
Do not add:
A mattress should not be tilted or inclined unless a qualified health professional has provided individual medical advice and the arrangement is consistent with applicable policies.
The cot should remain clear.
Remove:
Pillows.
Cot bumpers.
Soft toys.
Comforters.
Doonas and quilts.
Loose blankets.
Sleep positioners.
Wedges.
Lambswool.
Sheepskins.
Cushions.
Feeding bottles.
Bibs.
Necklaces.
Dummy chains.
Toys with cords and weighted blankets or weighted sleep products.
These objects can create suffocation, overheating, entrapment or strangulation risks.
Where a lightweight blanket is used:
Place the baby on their back.
Position the baby’s feet near the bottom of the cot.
Keep the baby’s head and face uncovered.
Bring the blanket no higher than the baby’s chest and tuck the blanket firmly under the mattress on three sides.
This reduces the likelihood of the baby moving down under the bedding.
Do not use heavy, loose or excessively layered bedding.
A correctly fitted baby sleeping bag may be used instead of blankets.
A safer sleeping bag should:
Be the correct size for the baby.
Fit securely around the neck.
Fit securely around the arms.
Have no hood.
Allow the baby’s arms to remain outside.
Be appropriate for the room temperature and prevent the baby from slipping inside the bag.
Do not add unnecessary blankets over a sleeping bag.
Do not use a sleeping bag that is too large, damaged or capable of covering the baby’s face.
A baby should be comfortably warm, not hot.
Consider:
Check the baby’s chest, back or abdomen rather than using their hands or feet to judge body temperature.
Remove hats, beanies and outdoor clothing when the baby is sleeping indoors.
Wrapping may help some young babies settle. However, it must be performed safely.
When wrapping a baby:
Place the baby on their back.
Keep the baby’s face and head uncovered.
Use lightweight material.
Ensure the wrap is firm but not excessively tight.
Allow room for the baby’s hips and legs to move and do not wrap the baby above the shoulders.
Wrapping must stop when the baby shows signs of attempting to roll.
A baby who is rolling must have their arms free so they can adjust their position.
Never place a wrapped baby on their stomach or side.
Placing a baby in a safe cot is only one part of safe sleeping practice. Sleeping babies must also be appropriately supervised.
Early childhood services should use active or continuous supervision practices consistent with:
The baby’s individual needs.
The service’s sleep and rest policy.
The service’s risk assessment.
The sleeping environment.
Staffing arrangements and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Red Nose highlights that close supervision supports consistent safe sleep practices and helps educators ensure that babies remain on a firm, flat surface free from loose bedding and suffocation hazards.
A physical sleep check should consider:
The baby’s breathing.
The baby’s skin colour.
The position of the baby’s head and body.
Whether the baby’s face is visible.
Whether the head and face remain uncovered.
Whether the baby appears comfortably warm.
Whether any hazards have entered the cot and whether the baby is showing signs of distress or illness.
A physical check should involve directly observing the baby. Depending on workplace procedures, this may include entering the sleep area and checking the rise and fall of the baby’s chest.
Do not rely only on:
Services should document sleep checks according to their policies and procedures.
Families may have cultural practices, preferences or previous experiences relating to infant sleep.
Educators and carers should:
Listen respectfully.
Explain the service’s safe sleeping responsibilities.
Provide evidence-based information.
Follow the organisation’s approved policies.
Document relevant discussions and escalate requests that conflict with safe sleeping guidance.
A family request alone does not make an unsafe practice acceptable.
A baby may occasionally have an individual medical need that affects their sleeping arrangements.
Where a different sleep position or arrangement is requested for medical reasons:
Obtain appropriate written medical instructions.
Notify the responsible supervisor or nominated person.
Complete or update the child’s risk-management documentation.
Inform all relevant educators and carers and follow the organisation’s procedures.
Staff should not independently diagnose a condition or create an alternative sleeping arrangement.
Products designed for transport, sitting or play are not automatically suitable as routine sleep spaces.
Babies should not routinely be left sleeping in:
When practical and safe to do so, move a sleeping baby to an approved firm, flat sleep surface.
During necessary travel, use the restraint correctly and supervise the baby according to the manufacturer’s instructions and road-safety requirements.
Immediately check a baby if they:
Appear unusually pale, blue or grey.
Are not breathing normally.
Are limp or unresponsive.
Are choking or gasping.
Have abnormal or noisy breathing.
Cannot be woken normally or appear seriously unwell.
Check for danger.
Check whether the baby responds.
Call for assistance.
Send someone to call Triple Zero on 000 and obtain an automated external defibrillator, where available.
Open and check the baby’s airway.
Check for normal breathing.
Begin infant CPR if the baby is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
Follow the emergency operator’s instructions.
Continue until qualified help takes over or the baby begins breathing normally.
Only perform CPR according to your current training and workplace emergency procedures.
Safe sleeping awareness training does not replace accredited first aid or CPR training.
Before every sleep, confirm:
This material was informed by publicly available Red Nose Australia information, including:
Six Safe Sleep Recommendations;
Safe Sleeping Guide;
What Is a Safe Sleeping Environment?;
How to Make Up a Baby’s Cot;
Bedding for Safe Sleeping;
Room Sharing; and
information for early childhood educators.
Course content should be reviewed regularly against the latest Red Nose Australia advice, relevant education and care requirements, and organisational policies.
Assessment Link – Please complete the Assessment after going through the course material thoroughly
