Safe Infant Sleeping Environment

Reducing the Risk of SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths

The following steps, recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, will help keep your baby safe when sleeping.

Always put your baby to sleep on their back until one year of age.
Place your baby on a firm, flat mattress, with a fitted crib sheet, in a crib that meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission safety standards.
Keep the crib free from toys, mobiles, stuffed animals, pillows, crib bumpers, blankets, positioning devices and extra bedding.
Breastfeeding is recommended.
The safest place for your baby to sleep at night is in a crib in the room where you sleep, but not in your bed, for at least the first six months.
Keep the bedroom well ventilated, at a temperature that is comfortable for a lightly clothed adult.
Don’t put your baby to sleep on an adult bed, sofa/couch, armchair, cushion, pillow, or in a car seat, stroller, swing, or bouncy chair.
Check your baby periodically while they are asleep.
To avoid overheating your baby, don’t overdress them. Remove bibs, clothes with hoods or ties, and hats.
Consult with your health care provider if you think your child would benefit from swaddling. When your baby starts trying to roll over (at about 3-4 months of age), they should no longer be swaddled.
Weighted clothing or other weighted objects are not safe and are not recommended.
You may offer a pacifier, once breastfeeding is established. The pacifier should not be attached to the baby's clothing by a string or ribbon.
Keep your baby's space smoke- and vape-free.
Visit your baby’s doctor for regular check-ups and immunizations.
Make supervised tummy time part of your baby’s daily activity when awake.
Make sure everyone who takes care of your baby follows safe sleep practices.

Photo Courtesy of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Development (NICHD)

References & Resources

Moon, R., Carlin, R., Hand, I. and The Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the Committee on Fetus and Newborn. (2022). Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics, 150(1): e2022057990. Accessed at https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057990/188304/Sleep-Related-Infant-Deaths-Updated-2022

Safe Sleep for Infants in Child Care Programs: Reducing the Risk of SIDS and Other Sleep Related Infant Deaths http://cchp.ucsf.edu/SIDS-Note

CCHP Tummy Time. http://cchp.ucsf.edu/Tummy-Time

Resource Tags:

Safety Practices