Healthy Sleeping Habits For Young Children: Expert Tips

If you have heard that the rules around mobile phones and electronic devices in early childhood settings have changed, you are right. If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, these changes are already in effect.

Here is a plain-English breakdown of what changed, why it happened, and what it means for your family.

Why Did the Laws Change?

The changes were introduced as a child safety measure. In 2025, Australia’s Education Ministers agreed to amend the Education and Care Services National Law to address concerns about the potential for personal devices to be used to capture, store, or transmit images of children in care without authorisation.

The intent is straightforward: children in early learning settings deserve an environment where their privacy and safety are actively protected.

What Changed Nationally

From 27 February 2026, amendments to the national Education and Care Services National Law took effect across Australia. Under these changes, educators and staff who work directly with children are restricted from using personal electronic devices in care settings.

Before this, from 1 September 2025, all early childhood education and care services nationwide were required to have written policies in place addressing the use of digital devices.

What Changed in NSW

NSW moved ahead of the national timeline. The Education and Care Services (Supply, Authorisation and Use of Devices) Order 2025 took effect on 6 November 2025, applying across NSW’s 6,000 or more early learning services, including long day care centres, preschools, and family day care.

Under this order, educators and staff must use service-issued or service-authorised devices rather than their own personal devices when working directly with children.

What Counts as a Personal Device?

The definition is broad. A personal device is any device owned by an individual (not the approved provider) that is capable of capturing, storing, or transmitting an image. This includes:

Mobile phones
Smartwatches
Cameras and tablets
iPads and laptops
Hard drives, USB drives, and memory cards
Wearables such as camera glasses

Who Does the Ban Apply To?

The restrictions apply to anyone working directly with children at a service, including permanent and casual educators, students on placement, volunteers, contractors, and allied health professionals delivering programs on-site.

Parents, carers, and other visitors are not covered by the ban. In NSW, parents and carers remain free to use their personal devices during drop-off, pick-up, centre visits, and events involving their own children. There are also authorised exceptions for essential purposes, including emergencies and health or disability support needs.

What About Screen Time for Children?

These new laws specifically address staff device use, not children’s screen time. Screen time limits for young children are not mandated within childcare regulation at a national level.

The relevant guidance comes from the federal Department of Health and Aged Care’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, which recommend no screen time for children under 2 years, and no more than 1 hour per day for children aged 2 to 5 years. These are health guidelines, not regulatory requirements.

What This Means for Your Family

If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, their service is already required to operate under these rules. Any educator or staff member working directly with your child should not be using a personal device to take photos or videos. Only service-authorised devices should be used for that purpose.

If you have questions about how your centre handles digital devices or image capture, you are well within your rights to ask. Most services will have a written policy in place that covers exactly this.

At Clovel, the safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is at the heart of everything we do. If you would like to know more about how we support your child across our centres, we would love to have that conversation with you.

Raising a child has to be one of the most difficult undertakings a person can take. Going through a full day of chores and tasks, and then slipping into bed for a good night’s rest, only to be woken moments later by your child, can be an incredibly overwhelming and exhausting experience for any parent.

Staying up through the night, worrying about your child getting enough rest, and unable to get a full night of deep rest yourself can easily snowball into a very difficult week.

If all of this sounds familiar to you, we understand what you must be going through. The good news is, we have solutions that can help. Building a routine of good sleeping habits before bedtime can help your child get the quality rest they truly need.

As a parent, understanding just how significant sleep is for your child can make a huge difference in their overall well-being, impacting everything from their mood and cognitive function to their physical development.

In this article, we’ll dive into the importance of establishing healthy sleep habits for children and offer guidance on how you can ensure your little ones (and you) sleep soundly.

Why Healthy Sleep Habits are Crucial for Young Children

Sleep is a necessity for a child’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

These hours are precious; they’re a crucial window to retain information, problem-solve, and rest their bodies. In fact, sleep is so essential that it directly impacts your child’s overall happiness and mood.

Here are some key reasons why a good sleep routine for children is non-negotiable.

Growth and repair

When your child is in deep sleep, their body produces hormones that help with growth and repair.

Emotional regulation

A well-rested child can cope better with their emotions and regulate their feelings. As they become more resilient, they’re able to develop social skills and have better interactions with their peers.

Cognitive development

Quality sleep will support your child’s memory consolidation and their ability to learn and process information.

At Clovel Childcare, we provide a Preschool Program and Baby Program that help your child develop these essential skills in a caring and loving space.

Expert Tips for Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits for Children

We completely understand that busy lifestyles can make it challenging to stick to a routine. Even so, getting quality shut-eye is a biological function that needs to be prioritised for our health.

Luckily, sleep comes naturally for children. The best way to encourage it is through a positive bedtime routine that cultivates a sense of safety and calm.

With enough consistency and a well-established calming routine, your child will know when it’s time to wind down and eventually learn to fall asleep all on their own.

Creating a Consistent Bedtime Routine for Children

A consistent bedtime routine for children creates a positive association with sleep.

This would typically include gentle activities for example, brushing their teeth, changing into their favourite pyjamas, and listening to a comforting bedtime story.

Establishing a bedtime routine is also a great way for you to bond, share stories, and spend quality time together.

To help your child feel secure, it’s crucial to establish a predictable routine: tuck away any devices, dim down the lights, maintain a consistent bedtime, and perform activities in the same order each night.

The Benefits of a Consistent Sleep Schedule for Preschoolers

Sleep is even more essential for preschoolers. Children at this age are rapidly growing, and getting sufficient rest will play a huge role in supporting their overall well-being.

When your child adheres to a regular sleep schedule, they benefit from sharp attention, behaviour, learning, memory, and more. This is because a sleep schedule for preschoolers will ease them into deep sleep, where their brain is actively processing information.

Overcoming Common Sleep Struggles

Establishing healthy sleep habits for children that lead to them falling sound asleep quickly is the ultimate goal, however, it’s perfectly normal to run into challenges.
If your child is experiencing difficulty falling or staying asleep, it’s important to understand why. For instance, they might be afraid of the dark, have separation anxiety, or feel some sort of discomfort.

This is why establishing a quiet environment and routine is so critical – it reduces any overstimulation and helps your child feel calm and secure. With patience and consistency, you’ll be on your way to ensuring your child gets the restorative sleep they need.

Sleep Training Tips for Parents: Teaching Children to Self-Soothe

The core purpose of sleep training is to teach your child to fall asleep on their own.

When your child wakes you up in the middle of the night, it’s instinctive to want to comfort and hold them until they fall asleep. However, sleep training teaches your child to self-soothe.

There are many techniques to explore, such as the Ferber method or the fading method, which provide children the time and space they need to learn this important skill.

How to Handle Sleep Regression in Young Children

It can be disheartening when your child’s healthy sleep pattern, once established, suddenly gets disrupted. Rest assured, it’s an essential part of your child’s development.

This is called sleep regression, and it usually occurs when your child is going through significant changes.

The most important way to handle sleep regression is with a calm and consistent presence. By maintaining a bedtime routine that’s predictable, your child will feel comforted and safe.

Children's Sleep Health Advice: Tips for Ensuring Quality Rest Every Night

Learning to sleep is a skill, and it’s a skill your child can absolutely learn. They just need a little guidance, patience, and consistency from you.

Taking proactive steps to create a calming environment, reduce their screen time before bed, and even ensure that they’re eating well during the day can improve your child’s quality of sleep tremendously.

Creating a consistent bedtime routine for children can help them sleep like a baby through the night in no time.

FAQs on Child Development Stages

How much sleep should my child get each night?

The recommended hours of sleep will vary depending on your child’s age.

Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours, including naps
Preschool (3-5 years): 10-13 hours, including naps
School-age (6-13 years): 9-12 hours
Teens: (14-17 years): 8-10 hours

What is the best bedtime routine for young children?

A good bedtime routine for children usually consists of 3 or 4 activities. For example, taking a bath, brushing their teeth, changing into their pyjamas, and reading a story together.

What can I do if my child resists going to bed?

It’s important to respond with patience, rather than frustration. A calming environment can help your child transition from play to rest, and maintaining a firm bedtime routine will support this.

How can I create a sleep schedule for my preschooler?

Set a consistent bedtime to encourage healthy sleeping habits. As part of their routine, you can dim down the lights, listen to calm music, switch off devices an hour before, and encourage quiet time.

What are the common sleep challenges for toddlers, and how can I address them?

It’s common for children to wake up at night because of nightmares, separation anxiety, or overstimulation before bed. In the case of nightmares, parents can offer comfort and reassurance.

To help them overcome separation anxiety, children need to feel a sense of security.

This can be achieved through a consistent bedtime routine, comfort objects, reassurance, and even practising short separations during the day.

When should I start sleep training my child?

According to experts, 5 to 6 months old is the sweet spot to begin sleep training, as children are old enough to self-soothe.

Lyn Connolly

Founder and Company Director

Lyn Connolly is the Founder and Company Director of Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres, a family‑owned group of eight centres across Western Sydney established from her first service at Merrylands. Active in early childhood education since 1977, she also serves as President of the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW, representing providers in state and federal consultations, media, and public hearings.

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