Why is sleep important for child development and when is it most fulfilling? Why is it important to individualize the approach to afternoon recess in kindergarten and how? These and other sensitive but important questions for children’s well-being were discussed by experts and practitioners from the field of pre-school education on 3 June in the framework of a webinar on “Compulsory afternoon sleep in kindergartens – are there alternatives?”, organized by “Trust for Social Achievement” Foundation and REYN Bulgaria Network.
The event attracted more than 190 participants from all over the country, including teachers and kindergarten directors, experts from universities and expert organizations, civil activists, parents, representatives of local authorities. The event confirmed the topicality of the issue of flexible organisation of the daily routine in Bulgarian kindergartens. The discussion brought together experts and practitioners from different fields – neurology, children’s rights, education policy, as well as representatives of the Association of Sleep Consultants in Bulgaria and kindergarten directors and teachers to address all aspects of this multifaceted topic.
Eugenia Volen, Programme Director at TSA, Early Learning and Care Programme, opened the discussion by outlining the link between the issue of offering alternatives for children’s afternoon recess on the one hand and the issue of the quality of pedagogical practices on the other, which is in fact a commitment to the individual needs and level of development of each child.
The scientific point of view on the topic from the field of paediatrics was presented by Dr Elena Kabakchieva, neurologist and Chairperson of the Board of the Health and Social Development Foundation /HESED/. She explained how and why sleep affects children at an early age, and why forced sleeping can have negative consequences on their natural biological rhythm. According to her, individual differences in sleep need are normal and should be respected.
The legal framework and legal requirements were discussed in detail by Dr. Eva Zhecheva, Director of the Children’s Rights Directorate under the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, and by Ms. Vanya Georgieva, Head of the Department of Organization, Planning and Reporting at the Ministry of Education and Science. They explained how the current legislation could be interpreted more flexibly to ensure a balance between the rights of the child and the practical needs of educational institutions.
A look beyond Bulgarian borders was given by Gabriela Tosunova, Program Assistant at TSA, Early Learning and Care Program, who presented European approaches to the organization of afternoon sleep. She shared a particularly interesting example from Slovenia, where kindergartens implement flexible models allowing children to choose between sleep, quiet rest or quiet activities according to their individual needs.
Maria Yonova and Dr. Elena Chapalova, representatives of the Association of Child Sleep Consultants in Bulgaria, brought the voice of families to the discussion. They presented the results of an online survey of 2,240 parents with kindergarten-age children, conducted in May 2025, which presents the readiness of the system, children and parents to change the organisation of afternoon sleep. The survey showed interesting data on the attitudes of Bulgarian families and their expectations towards kindergartens on the issue of individualising the daily routine.
The discussion part revealed the main challenges facing Bulgarian kindergartens – from the emotional well-being of children to the need for an individual approach in the daily routine. Participants exchanged ideas for adaptive models that take into account the different needs of children, such as Zlatina Marincheva, director of the kindergarten “Barborino”, town of Sofia. Ms. Zlatina Borrinova, Head of the school in Sredets, shared good practices from her experience. The kindergarten she runs applies flexible approaches to afternoon sleep and offers alternative quiet activities to children who do not want to sleep. At the same time, her team actively works with parents to allay any concerns and demonstrate what approaches to children’s needs she is implementing.
The webinar outlined a consensus on the need for wider public debate and inter-agency collaboration to balance children’s needs, parental expectations and educational standards.
The presentation from the event can be found here.
A video recording of the webinar can be found here.