Sleep and rest provision in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is commonly enacted as a routine -- a standard time-period during which children are required to lie down even if they do not sleep. Yet contemporary ECEC policies emphasise "responsive" pedagogical practice that includes children in decision-making and respects each child's developmental and sociocultural context as appropriate pedagogical practice. To understand current practices, analyses of numeric data and textual accounts from a survey of Australian ECEC service providers, leaders and educators (N = 247) was undertaken. Two broad challenges to enabling responsive practice and inclusion of children in decision-making were identified: (1) "Provisions" -- organisational interpretations of national policy and attendant resourcing set the structural parameters for achievement of responsive pedagogical practice. (2) "Practices" -- individual and communal demands on educators and their professional philosophy set interactional parameters. "Service leadership" played a pivotal role in determining whether sleep-rest practices were Routine (84%) or Responsive (16%). Responsive leaders were characterised by strong professional advocacy for child rights and child-focused pedagogy. They instigated professional reflection and communication strategies within their service and removed expectation that educators could undertake alternative activity while providing for children's sleep and rest.