Safer sleep for babies
Sleep is important for your baby’s health and there are ways to make sure your baby sleeps as safely as possible. Following this safer sleep guidance for every sleep, day and night, can help to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death.
- Always place babies on their back to sleep
- Make sure babies have a clear, flat, separate sleep space e.g. a cot or a Moses basket, in the same room as you
- Keep babies smoke free day and night – for help quitting visit Healthy Cornwall
Never sleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair. The risk of SIDS is 50 times higher for babies when they sleep on a sofa or armchair with an adult. This can happen accidentally when you are very tired. Try to plan ahead so that you have somewhere close by to put your baby down to sleep safely.
- Safer sleep space
- What does my baby need to sleep safely
- Co-sleeping with your baby
- Keeping baby smokefree
- Breastfeeding
- Sleeping away from home
Safer sleep space
- Your baby should sleep in a flat, separate sleeping space e.g. a cot or Moses basket
- It should have a firm, close fitting mattress.
- Your baby’s feet should touch the ‘foot ’(bottom) of the cot. This will stop them wriggling under covers.
- Bedding should only come up to their armpits.
- Cots should not have pillows, bumpers, toys or loose bedding.
- It is safest for your baby to sleep in the same room as you for the first six months – both day and night. This should be in their own clear, flat, separate sleep space (e.g. a cot or Moses basket)
- The room temperature should be 16-20 degrees centigrade so your baby does not get too hot.
- Babies should not sleep for longer than 2 hours in a car seat. Make regular stops for your baby to have time out of their car seat.
If you have a question about how to create a safer sleep space for your baby, ask your midwife or health visitor.
What does my baby need to sleep safely?
You do not need to buy lots of expensive items to ensure your baby is sleeping safely. There are lots of products available to buy which claim to help your baby sleep, however some sleeping products for babies e.g. pods/nests do not conform to safer sleep guidelines. It can be hard to sort the science from the marketing, but the Lullaby Trust have put together a guide on how to choose the products or items your baby needs: Lullaby Trust’s Product Guide.
If your baby rolls onto their tummy
Once your baby can move themselves from their back to their front and back again by themselves, they will be able to find their own sleeping position. The first few times they roll onto their tummy, you might like to gently turn them back, but do not feel you have to get up all night to check. Once a baby can confidently roll back-to-front and front-to-back, it’s okay to let them find their preferred sleeping position, you don’t need to keep rolling them onto their back.
Co-sleeping with your baby
There are some occasions where co-sleeping is never recommended. Co-sleeping with your baby is very dangerous if:
- You or anyone sharing the bed has recently drunk any alcohol.
- You or anyone sharing the bed is a smoker
- You or anyone sharing the bed has taken any drugs or medication that make you feel sleepy.
- Your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or weighed under 2.5kg or 5½ lbs when they were born.
In these scenarios, it is always best to put baby in their own safe sleep space, such as a cot or Moses basket.
If you are thinking of sharing a bed with your baby, you can make it safer by:
- Not sleeping on a sofa or armchair with your baby.
- Making sure your baby is sleeping in a clear space beside you – keep pillows and adult bedding away from baby or any other items that could cover their head.
- Using a baby sleeping bag instead of loose bedding, like pillows, sheets or blankets.
- Not letting pets or other children sleep in the bed.
- Making sure your baby won't fall out or get trapped between the mattress and a wall.
Keeping baby smoke free
Babies who are exposed to tobacco smoke before or after birth have a much greater chance of SIDS than babies who are kept smoke-free. For help and advice to stop smoking, contact Healthy Cornwall or speak to your midwife or health visitor.
If you and / or your partner smoke, you should never share a bed with your baby. This is because SIDS is 10 times more likely with a smoking parent.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding your baby reduces the risk of SIDS. For more information or support with breastfeeding talk to your midwife or health visitor. Friendly breastfeeding peer support groups are available across Cornwall.
Sleeping away from home
It is important that even when you are not at home you continue to follow safer sleep advice.
Find out more information about safer sleep away from home e.g. going on holiday or visiting family.
If you find yourself sleeping away from home unplanned with a baby, you may need to adapt your safer sleep routine. It is really important to keep putting them to sleep on their back for every day and night time sleep.
Find out more information about safer sleep when away from home unplanned or in emergency situations.
Useful resources
- Safer Sleep for Babies – A Guide for Parents and Carers
- Safer Sleep Advice for Emergency Situations – A Guide for Parents and Carers
- Safer Sleep Advice for Premature and Low Birthweight Babies
- Baby Sleep Info Source (BASIS) - Infant Sleep Info App
- Co-sleeping with your baby
For more information and support
- Visit The Lullaby Trust website for safer sleeping advice
- Little Lullaby - the Lullaby Trust’s dedicated project for young parents.
- Healthy Cornwall – for support with stopping smoking.
- Health Visiting and the 0-19 Health Advice Line