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The six baby sleep safety rules
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Safe sleeping is one of the biggest concerns for new parents, with many spending the first few nights after their baby is born constantly monitoring them.
Newborns can easily get too hot or too cold, as they can’t regulate their own temperature very well, so using the correct type and amount of bedding is a must in the early days.
Follow our simple rules to get your baby’s bedding right first time – so you can relax and (hopefully) get more sleep yourself...
Rule 1: Choose the right baby sleeping bag
Silvercloud sleeping bag, £12.99, Amazon
A sleeping bag can help your child to sleep longer at night, as it can’t be kicked off like a traditional sheet or blanket, so they won’t wake because of the cold.
Make sure you choose one carefully though; check that the neck opening isn’t too large, and that there are poppers under the armholes to stop very young babies slipping down inside.
You should also make sure that they meet the minimum weight of the bag.
Sleeping bags also come in different tog ratings (2.5 tog for winter, 1 tog for summer) so choose the right weight for the time of year, as using anything too thick or heavy could make your baby overheat.
Never put a blanket over a sleeping bag for the same reason.
Most bags come with a chart telling you what your baby should wear underneath depending on the room temperature, so read it before you dress them for bed.
Rule 2: Never use a duvet, quilt or pillow for a baby under a year old
A duvet, quilt or comforter is far too thick and heavy for your baby to push away if they become too hot.
It’s best to use thin, breathable blankets that can be easily layered depending on how warm the room is.
Using a pillow is also a suffocation risk; many children can sleep happily without one well past a year old, so don’t feel you are denying your baby any comfort!
Rule 3: Don't use a cot bumper
Options are divided about cot bumpers.
Some parents think they’re a dangerous suffocation risk and should be avoided, while others see them as serving a purpose in stopping your child’s limbs getting entangled in the cot bars.
The Lullaby Trust, who raises awareness of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), say they are dangerous and shouldn't be used.
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Rule 4: Buy the right-size bedding
It’s important to always buy the bedding that is specially made to fit your baby’s bed, whether it’s a Moses basket, crib or cot.
It might seem like a waste to buy different size sets, but folding blankets and sheets over to make them fit smaller beds can be very dangerous and cause your child to overheat.
Bedding should also always be tucked in firmly, as loose material can be a smothering risk.
Rule 5: Choose blankets and sheets carefully
Cellular blankets (two-pack), £9.99, Amazon
Cellular blankets are a popular choice as they’re not only easy to wash and quick to dry, but very breathable, too.
You can layer them depending on the time of year and they’re much safer than using a heavy quilt or coverlet.
Use fitted sheets rather than flat ones on your baby’s mattress, too. We like these 100% cotton fitted sheets which you can buy to fit a cot, cot bed or Moses basket.
Fitted sheets that are completely encircled in elastic give a smooth sleeping surface and there’s no risk of any fabric popping out.
Rule 6: Keep toys out of the cot
It’s quite common for your child to need a comforter to help them drift off to sleep, but try to remove this once they’ve dropped off, to lower the risk of suffocation.
Also, keep any soft toys out of the cot until they’ve reached toddlerhood, when the risks are reduced, and they can move about more freely.
Sleep safety advice you need to know
1. Put baby to sleep on their back
When experts recommended that babies be placed to sleep on their back in the early 1990s, the rate of death from SIDS dropped dramatically. Statistics are now over 50% lower.
This is because babies who sleep on their front are more likely to overheat, have pauses in breathing, and rebreathe air they have just inhaled, which is low in oxygen.
Placing your baby to sleep on their back until they are at least 12 months is sound advice for protecting your baby – and you should make sure that relatives and babysitters know the rules, too.
Once they start rolling at five or six months old, you will find them in all sorts of different positions.
There is no need to panic, as their risk of SIDS has started to drop by this age, but it is worth moving them to their back when you find them in a different position.
It's also best to place your baby in the "feet to foot" position, with their feet at the end of their cot or Moses basket, according to the NHS.
2. Choose safe bedding
There have been several studies that link a higher risk of SIDS to soft sleeping surfaces, such as beanbags, sofas, comforters, waterbeds, and quilts. The NHS advises not to use duvets, quilts, baby nests, wedges, bedding rolls or pillows when your baby sleeps.
You should use a mattress that is firm, flat, well-fitting, clean and waterproof on the outside. Cover the mattress with nothing but a single well-fitted sheet.
Avoid using blankets and instead choose a sleeping bag that will keep your baby warm without any risk of their head becoming covered.
The "feet to foot" position will also help to prevent them from wriggling under the covers and their head becoming covered.
Never place soft toys inside the cot and avoid cot bumpers, which pose a risk to your baby and prevent air circulating freely.
Learn more about choosing baby bedding.
3. Avoid sleep positioners
You will find various sleep positioners on sale that promise to keep your baby on their back throughout the night.
The official advice is not to use them, after a spate of infant deaths through suffocation. Instead, make a habit of checking your baby regularly.
4. Let baby sleep in their own bed
According to the NHS, there is an association between co-sleeping with your baby on a bed, sofa or chair, and SIDS.
It can be tempting to cuddle little on the sofa all evening, but being a parent is tiring and you run the risk of dozing off too.
If that happens, your baby is at a much higher than average risk of SIDS, so you should always take your sleeping baby and place them in their basket, crib or cot to sleep on their own when they drop off.
It's especially important not to share a bed with your baby if you or your partner are smokers, have recently drunk alcohol or have taken medication or drugs that make you sleep more heavily.
Learn more about safe co-sleeping.
5. Never let them sleep for too long in their car seat
Babies can get very hot sleeping in their car seats, which means they are at a much greater risk of SIDS.
Their heads are also positioned in a way that can inhibit breathing, so you should always transfer them to their cot, crib, or Moses basket as soon as you get home.
The same rule applies for prams, bouncy seats, infant carriers, slings and swings, especially if your baby is under four months old.
In the car, you should ideally have a second adult travelling in the back with your baby, or you can use a mirror to keep an eye on them. If your baby changes position or slumps forward then it's advised to take them out and sit them upright.
6. Sleep in the same room as your baby
Statistics prove that sleeping in the same room as your baby for at least the first six months reduces the risk of SIDS significantly.
However, avoid sharing a bed with your baby as it poses risks.
Instead, place their crib, cot, or Moses basket next to your bed so they are close when they wake, and place them back inside after their feed.
7. Make sure they don't overheat
It's important that your baby doesn’t overheat when they are sleeping.
Dress them in one more layer than you would wear in the same temperature – and make sure you check on your baby regularly for signs that they are hot, such as sweating or damp hair.
Invest in a thermometer for the baby’s room so you can make sure their room is close to the NHS recommended temperature of about 18C.
Never cover their head when they are sleeping with hoods or hats, as this can increase their body temperature dramatically, and may also pose a suffocation risk.
8. Stop smoking
The NHS also advises that parents can reduce the risk of SIDS by not smoking during pregnancy or after the baby is born.
Don't let anyone smoke in the house, ask visitors to smoke outside, and avoid taking your baby into smoky places.
You can find more info on SIDS by visiting the charity Lullaby Trust, which raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families.
What bedding is safe for babies?
Babies under 12 months old should not have loose sheets or blankets in their cots, or use a duvet. Either a baby sleeping bag should be used or sheets and blankets that are firmly tucked in. Babies should be in the feet to foot position, so that they cannot slip down the bed under the covers. This means their feet are at the end of the crib, cot or Moses basket.
What age can a baby have a duvet?
Babies can use a duvet in their cot from around 12 months old.
Is it safe to use blankets on babies?
It's safe to use blankets in baby's beds as long as they are firmly tucked in.
Are comforters safe for babies?
A comforter can be used from seven months as a transition tool for helping your baby get to sleep and as an accompaniment for sleep in the cot from 12 months.
Experts advise that comforters are removed from a child's cot once they've fallen asleep.
Read on:
- The best products to get your baby sleeping through the night
- Sleep safety rules you need to know
- The best toddler sleep buys
