Your cart is currently empty!
When it comes to safe infant sleep, following the right recommendations can seem daunting at first. However, ensuring your baby sleeps safely is crucial for their well-being. To prevent Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome (SUIDS), including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), implementing safe sleep practices is essential.
In the United States, there are around 3,400 SUIDS-related deaths every year, with 27% of these caused by strangulation or suffocation in a bed. New parents can take steps to prevent SUIDS, with safe sleep being a vital preventive measure.
To make it easier to remember safe sleep guidelines, follow the ABCs of sleep:
- A – Alone
- B – Back
- C – Crib
Place your baby on their back to sleep in their own flat sleep space, with no loose items like pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals. Bed-sharing is not recommended.
Keep the room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees. To keep your baby warm, use a wearable blanket or long sleeve footie pajamas, avoiding loose fitting items. Stop swaddling once your baby starts rolling and avoid weighted sleep sacks, as they may pose risks.
Use a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and fitted sheet. Avoid letting your baby sleep on couches, armchairs, or seating devices like swings or car seats, except during short car rides.
Known SIDS risk factors:
- Placing baby to sleep on their stomach or side
- Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy
- Low birth weight, weighing 5lbs, 8oz or less
- Smoking during pregnancy
- Drug and alcohol use during pregnancy
- Babies sleeping on a soft surface
- Soft and/or fluffy bedding
- Blankets, bumpers, and stuffed toys, in the sleeping area
- Overbundling or dressing baby in too many layers of clothing
- Sickness with a fever
- Sleeping on an adult bed, couch, or armchair alone, with an adult, with a sibling, or with a pet
- Parent smoking cigarettes, using heavy drugs, and/or vaping
- Baby is younger than 4 months old
By following safe sleep recommendations, parents and caregivers can reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths.
Practicing safe sleep reduces stress for new parents and lessens anxiety about SIDS. Breastfeeding, skin-to-skin, and tummy time are excellent ways to decrease the risk of SIDS for your baby. After the first 6 months, the risk of SIDS lessens, but continue safe sleep practices until your baby turns one.
If sleep becomes a struggle, consider attending a newborn care class, using sleep routines, or hiring nighttime help. It’s okay to ask for assistance – raising a baby takes a village.
