Ex-Chelsea man Scott Sinclair opened the scoring with a superb individual goal and two strikes from debutant Fabio Borini, signed on loan from the Stamford Bridge club this week sealed the points for the home side.
Forest twice pulled goals back through Boyd and Anderson and only the woodwork denied them a late equaliser in a superb game in which they played their full part.
That though will be of little consolation to Reds supporters who are now looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack for a play-off place rather than upwards at a top two finish.
Billy Davies told the club website afterwards that he was looking forward to the international break and that the race for automatic promotion was 'far from over.'