A guide to safe baby sleep

A guide to safe baby sleep

With an infant to look after, you will inevitably get tired and need all the sleep you can get – but so will they! Getting enough sleep is important for your baby to grow, develop, and regulate their mood. To help you get the sleep you both deserve, our AVEENO® Baby guide to safe baby sleep offers a variety of tips and advice – including an honest overview of co-sleeping – so you can prepare, and snooze with confidence.

Why safe sleep for babies is so important

Practising safe sleep for babies doesn’t just put your mind (and theirs) at rest. Creating a safe sleep environment has tangible benefits that help protect your baby.

Choosing a firm, flat and level surface can help protect your baby from serious issues such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and other sleep-related accidents, such as accidental suffocation or falling.

What you need to keep your sleeping baby safe and secure

When considering your little one’s sleeping environment and items, the following are all good starting points.

Cots and Moses baskets

You might want to sleep with your child in your arms, but the safest place for a sleeping baby is definitely in a cot or a moses basket.

Remember to remove any toys or other additions that could make your little one overheat, or cover their mouth or nose. That includes things such as pillows or loose bedding. Don’t worry, they can still be perfectly comfortable without them.

Baby sleeping bags

Babies can be fussy sleepers, and if they wriggle too much, they could tangle themselves beneath their bedding. With a baby sleeping bag, however, you can reduce wriggling – just make sure you buy one from a reputable vendor, and ensure it fits snug around their shoulders, as you don’t want your baby’s head to slip into the bag (or have them wriggle out of it).

Additionally, be aware that one bag won’t be suitable year-round.

When it comes to sleeping bag “tog” temperature guidelines:

• 2.5 tog is best at 16 to 20°C

• 1.0 tog is best at 20 to 24°C

• 0.5 tog is best at 24 to 27°C.

So, try to match the right sleeping bag to the right temperatures and seasons/times of year.

Baby blankets

If you choose to use a baby blanket and not a sleeping bag, it’s important to cover your little one safely.

Tuck your child in tightly, but no higher than up to their shoulders, so the fabric doesn’t cover your baby’s mouth or press on their neck.

It’s recommended to use a cellular cotton blanket, as they offer good airflow but retain plenty of warmth.

Mattress

Try to use a fresh mattress, or one that has been stored in a safe, dry and appropriate way – ideally from a smoke-free home. It’s recommended by the NHS that the mattress for a sleeping baby should be firm, flat and waterproof.

It should be firm enough so that your baby’s head doesn’t push into the mattresses by more than three or so millimetres. A mattress that isn’t firm can give your child difficulty in cooling down.

The safest sleeping positions for your baby

Your baby might be the spitting image of you in miniature, but they can’t always sleep like we do. Just remember that your baby’s sleeping position is as important as their environment.

Try to consider the following:

• Don’t put your baby to bed on their tummy or their side. Instead, lay them down on their backs to sleep, as this reduces the risk of cot death. Once they can start turning themselves over, this will offer added peace of mind.

• You should also place your child on their back at the base of the cot (or Moses basket). If they wriggle, this should stop any loose bedding from covering their nose and mouth.

Dos and don’ts for safe baby sleeping

The following are some useful tips to remember when putting your little one to bed.

Dos for safe baby sleeping

• It’s important to put them to sleep on their back.

• In the first six months, it’s a good idea for you to sleep in the same room as them.

• If using a mattress, make sure it’s a firm, flat, waterproof mattress that has been stored in dry conditions. It’s best not to use a second-hand mattress, unless you’re certain it’s been stored well and is from a smoke-free household. Additionally, ensure it has retained its firmness.

• If you’re using a baby blanket, place them with their feet to the foot of the cot or Moses basket, and tuck them in firmly – no higher than their shoulders. You want to prevent wriggling but avoid smothering them.

• Keep the cot or Moses basket free from toys, loose blankets, or anything that could cause them to overheat or cover their nose and mouth as they sleep and wriggle around.

Don’ts for safe baby sleeping

• Don’t cover your baby’s head at any point – and ensure there’s nothing in the cot that could cover it either.

• Don’t place your baby on their side or front to sleep, especially before they can turn themselves around.

• Don’t put your baby to bed on an adult bed, a couch or an armchair – even if you’re snuggled up with them, as it can be dangerous for them.

• If you or your partner smoke, don’t share a bed with your baby. If you or your partner have drunk alcohol, used recreational drugs or medicine that causes drowsiness, don’t sleep with your little one.

• In the event your baby was born prematurely or with low birthweight, you shouldn’t share a bed with them.

• Do not use duvets, quilts or pillows and other loose items – these can cause your baby to overheat, and they can smother them and increase the risk of SIDS.

• Careful with the temperature – it’s important to ensure your baby doesn’t get too hot or too cold, as this can increase the risk of SIDS.

• Don’t sleep with them on a sofa or armchair. Try to put them to sleep on their back in their cot first.

If you insist on sleeping in the same space as your baby, please read our advice on co-sleeping below.

Co-sleeping with a baby

The bond between a parent and little one can be so, so special. And sometimes, co-sleeping with their baby is important to a parent.

There are a number of reasons why some people choose to co-sleep:

• There may be times you want your child in your bed to comfort or feed them.

• Many parents choose to co-sleep due to a feeling of bonding, the convenience of nighttime breastfeeding, and the potential for their baby to get to sleep quicker. Sometimes, mothers even synchronise their sleep cycles with their babies by co-sleeping.

The vital thing to remember, however, is that it’s never 100% safe to co-sleep with your baby.

What are the risks of co-sleeping with your baby?

Snuggling up with your baby for cuddles or a feed can be heart-achingly cute, but it’s often safer for the baby to place them back in their cot before you doze off.

• The NHS advises that, for the first six months, you should place your baby to bed on their back in a cot in the same room as you. It’s not as sweet as cuddling, but seeing their silhouette in the nightlight isn’t far off – and they’ll be safer for it.

• According to some studies, if your child sleeps in the same room as you, close to your bed but sleeping separately, their risk of SIDS drops dramatically – as much as 50%, in fact. It also reduces your little one’s risk of strangulation, suffocation, or getting trapped or wrapped up in their sleep.

Can I safely co-sleep with my baby?

As we have noted, it is not possible for co-sleeping to be completely safe. However, there are some things you can do that may make it somewhat safer.

• Avoid ‘alternative’ co-sleeping spaces: Don’t attempt co-sleeping on a sofa or armchair. You want to avoid any accidental harm that could come from alternative co-sleeping spaces.

• Firm mattress requirement: Using a firm, flat mattress that fits your bedframe without gaps is essential. Don’t sleep with heavy duvets, loose bedding, or places where your baby could become smothered and trapped. Surfaces like bean bags should also be avoided.

• Light and minimal bedding: Taking a light, breathable and minimal approach to bedding is ideal – depending on the temperature. Baby sleeping bags can be a good way to ensure your little one is just warm enough, with different ones depending on the temperature. Try to keep blankets and pillows away from your baby’s head – to stop the risk of asphyxiation, but also to prevent overheating.

• Protective "C" sleeping position: You might do this naturally – especially if you breastfeed – but sleeping in the “C” position can be an option. This where you lay on your side toward your baby, curling your body into a “C” with your child at the centre and your lower arm above their head and knees just beneath their feet. This may keep things away from your baby’s head and reduce the chance of you rolling forwards or backwards.

• No other occupants in bed: If you’ve already got a little family, whether that’s pets or an older sibling, you might be tempted to all nap together – especially when your little one has just recently come home. However, it’s essential that you maintain the least cluttered possible space for your baby. That means no cats, dogs, brothers or sisters in your co-sleeping space.

• Be careful of falling or trapping risks: Ensure your baby cannot fall or get trapped between the mattress and the wall or a headboard. They’re only little, and you might be surprised how dangerous things that we take for granted can be. Everything needs to be snug – no gaps – and don’t put them to bed on the edge of the mattress.

Major co-sleeping ‘don’ts’

Co-sleeping carries inherent risks, but in certain circumstances it can be particularly dangerous for your baby.

In the following instances, you should avoid co-sleeping at all costs:

• Extreme fatigue or baby illness: Co-sleeping should be avoided if your baby or you have a fever, rash or are
  showing symptoms of illness. If you’re especially fatigued, you should avoid co-sleeping.

• Premature or low birthweight babies: Don’t attempt to co-sleep with your baby if it was born premature, or with a birth weight under 2.5kg, as this can increase the risk of SIDS.

• Risk of SIDS from sleeping on sofas or chairs: SIDS carries an increased risk if you fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair. Additionally, the baby could become trapped between you on the armchair or sofa.

• Unsafe co-sleeping conditions: There are a range of conditions in which it’s especially dangerous to attempt co-sleeping with your child. Do not attempt to co-sleep if you have consumed alcohol, taken recreational drugs, or used medications that can lead to drowsiness.

Creating a relaxing baby sleep routine

Getting your baby into a gentle, soothing bedtime routine doesn’t just help them settle – it gives you time to bond and get the connection that you often ache for⁶.

The NHS recommends a soothing and comfortable bath time to get your baby bed-ready⁶. With the AVEENO® range of baby bath and wash products, you can make bath time extra special:

• AVEENO® Baby Calming Comfort Bedtime Lotion. Our Baby Calming Lotion soothes your baby’s delicate skin, protects it and keeps it moisturised for up to 24 hours. You won’t be able to stop cuddling them.

• AVEENO® Daily Care Gentle Bath & Wash. Gently cleanse and moisturise your baby with our tear-free formula, without sulphates, soaps or dyes. Give your little one the daily care they deserve.

• AVEENO® Baby Soothing Relief Emollient Cream. Do you need to soothe your little ones dry, sensitive, or irritation-prone skin? Leave it feeling soft, smooth and healthy with our unscented, free-from-dyes relief cream.

Bedtime doesn’t end after bathtime though. Singing a lullaby or using a wind-up musical mobile can be just the thing to carry your baby off the bed, making them comfortable and less fussy as they gently doze off.