How often should a nursery check a sleeping baby?

Does English law set a minute-by-minute check?

No published minute count sits in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The Department for Education safer-sleep page (written with the Lullaby Trust, updated 17 August 2026) says babies under six months must always have an adult with them in the same room for every sleep, and that all children must be frequently checked when they are sleeping. Children must also stay within sight and hearing of staff.

The Foundation Years FAQ answers “How frequently should physical checks be carried out?” in one line: it is for the provider to determine, based on professional judgement and each child’s needs. That is why parent searches for “every 10 minutes” land on local PDFs rather than a statute.

A baby monitor that lets staff see and hear children may be used for babies over six months, according to the same DfE page. The FAQ still requires frequent in-person checks. Under six months, an adult in the room is the stated rule, not a camera in another room.

What does the Lullaby Trust say about who stays in the room?

The Lullaby Trust’s safer sleep in early years settings page (reviewed 19 June 2026) is written for nurseries, childminders, nannies and foster carers. On sleep supervision it says:

• Sleeping babies should be closely supervised.
• A member of staff must be present in the same room as any baby being slept who is under six months.
• For babies older than six months, supervision can be a staff member in a dedicated sleep room, or frequent monitoring by staff.
• Children should always be within sight and hearing of staff when sleeping.

That matches the DfE wording. Neither source turns “frequent” into five, ten or fifteen minutes. MayTally does not invent a legal interval on top of those pages.

What intervals do published nursery policies use?

Settings still write a number into their own sleep charts so staff can sign each check. Those numbers are house policy, not the EYFS clock. Three public examples, checked on 10 September 2026:

If your nursery’s number differs, that can still sit inside “frequently”. The useful question is whether the interval is written, signed, and shared with you — not whether it matches a blog.

What should a recorded sleep check include?

NDNA’s July 2026 note on safer sleep environments says visual checks should be meaningful: look for the rise and fall of the chest, that the child remains on their sleep surface, and that the head and face stay uncovered. Settings should record checks in line with their procedures.

The Sussex NHS handbook spells out the same idea in staff language: check the child is not tangled in a sheet or blanket, that nothing covers the nose or mouth, feel for breath with a hand on the chest or near the mouth, and check they are not hot or cold. Bristol’s policy adds that bedding stays tucked and that a monitor does not replace the physical check.

A tick on a 10-minute chart is only as good as what the adult looked at. Ask to see a blank sleep chart, not only the slogan “we check frequently”.

How do I ask my nursery for its interval?

1. 1
   Ask for the written sleep policy Request the current sleep or rest policy, not a verbal summary. Look for the under-six-months in-room rule, the stated minute interval (if any), and how checks are logged.
2. 2
   Ask who is in the room under six months Confirm that an adult stays in the same room for every sleep, as DfE and the Lullaby Trust state. A monitor-only arrangement for an under-six is not what those pages describe.
3. 3
   Ask what “a check” means Useful detail: do staff stand at the door, or go to the cot; do they look at the chest and face; do they record time and initials.
4. 4
   Ask how you see the record Many settings share sleep times on an app or at handover. Ask whether missed or late checks are visible, and what happens if your baby is new to the room (some policies tighten the interval for new babies).

In shortIn short: EYFS and the Lullaby Trust require frequent checks and an adult in the room under six months. They do not publish a national minute count. The 10- and 15-minute charts you find online are setting policies. Read yours, and treat a signed chart as the local answer.