Safe Sleep for Baby: Your newborn baby needs a lot of sleep in the first few weeks of life and making sure your baby is always safe during daytime naps and nighttime sleep is very important.
Leaflet Details
| Title | Safe Sleep for Baby |
| Department | Maternity |
| Author(s) | Sr Liz Jennis |
| Review Date | September 2024 |
| Next Review | September 2026 |
| Download | A5 Booklet PDF |
| Accessibility Options | Click on the Recite Me button to show our accessibility resources |
Patient Information
Introduction
Your newborn baby needs a lot of sleep in the first few weeks of life and making sure your baby is always safe during daytime naps and nighttime sleep is very important.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexpected death of a baby where no cause is found. While SIDS is rare, it can still happen and there are steps parents can take to help reduce the chance of this tragedy occurring. Although we don’t yet know how to completely prevent SIDS, it is possible to significantly lower the chances of it happening by following the advice.
THINGS YOU CAN DO
- Breast feed your baby as breast fed babies have a lower chance of SIDS
- Place your baby to sleep in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first 6 months. Always place your baby on their backs to sleep, in the ‘feet to the foot’ of the cot position.
- Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in good condition
THINGS TO AVOID
- Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby.
- Don’t sleep in the same bed as your baby if either you or your partner have drunk alcohol or taken drugs. (Including medication that may make you drowsy or tired)
- You should not share a bed with your baby if you or your partner smoke as this greatly increases the chance of SIDS even if you do not smoke in the bedroom.
- Do not smoke anywhere else at home.
- You should not share a bed with your baby if he or she was born prematurely or was of low birthweight.
Avoid letting your baby get too hot. The room should be between 16-20 degrees centigrade. Don’t cover your baby’s face or head while sleeping. Remove all pillows, soft bedding, cot bumpers and soft toys from the cot. Your baby should be covered with light bedding which is tucked in so that your baby can’t cover his / her head.
BABIES SLEEPING ENVIRONMENT
During the day baby will also have lots of naps, having a Moses basket or carry cot downstairs/in the living room, for the first few weeks is ideal.
Your baby should never be left to sleep on the sofa or an armchair, as they can easily fall off.
During the day there are often lots of distractions that may take you away from your baby. Always make sure your baby is placed into their cot or Moses basket, while you are busy.
Be mindful of pets and make sure dogs and cats can’t get into baby’s cot. Never leave your baby and your cat or dog alone in the same room.
Advice including factsheets and the latest research can be found at https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/
