The best sleeping position for babies

The best baby sleep position is on their back. Put your baby on their back for every sleep, day or night, as this is the safest way for them to sleep.

Baby sleeping in a cot on their back. They have a light sleep suit on and the light is coming through the bars of the cot. They have light skin.

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What is the safest sleeping position for a baby?

The safest way for a baby to sleep is on their back, known as the supine position. Always place your baby on their back to sleep, rather than on their front or side, as this is one of the best things you can do to make sure they’re sleeping as safely as possible.

There’s a lot of evidence from around the world showing that placing your baby on their back at the beginning of every sleep or nap, day or night, lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 

A baby in a blue baby grow is sleeping on their back in a wooden cot with a firm mattress.

Must-know information

The safest sleeping position for a baby is on their back.  Sleeping a baby on their front or side greatly increases the risk of SIDS. 
Always place your baby on their back to sleep (unless your doctor has advised you not to for medical reasons). 
The risk of SIDS is particularly high for babies who are usually placed on their back to sleep but are sometimes placed on their front or side.
Keep your baby’s sleep surface flat. Don’t incline, tilt or prop the mattress, cot or your baby – these don’t help with reflux and are unlikely to improve cold symptoms.

Baby sleeping on their back on a firm, flat surface.

The importance of routine for reducing the risk of SIDS

The best way to make sure your baby sleeps on their back is to place them in this position from day one, and keep this going for every sleep, day and night.  It’s important to make this a routine, as babies who are normally slept on their backs but sometimes slept on their fronts are at a high risk of SIDS. 

Baby is doing tummy time on the floor of the living room. They have medium skin and wear a light blue vest. They are looking intriguingly at something.

If your baby rolls onto their tummy

Once your baby can move themselves from their back to their front and back again by themselves, they will be able to find their own sleeping position. 

The first few times they roll onto their tummy, you might like to gently turn them back, but don’t feel you have to get up all night to check on them.

While they’re awake, give them some time to play on their tummy as this helps their development, but keep an eye on them while they do.  

Frequently asked questions

How should I put my baby to sleep?

The safest way to put your baby to sleep is on their back, on a flat, firm and waterproof mattress. Keep their cot clear of items such as toys that could cover their face, to keep their airways clear, and for the first six months, they should sleep in the same room as you.

Why should my baby sleep on their back?

This is the safest baby sleep position. Research has shown that babies who are usually slept on their backs but sometimes slept on their fronts or sides have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This means it’s best to make this a routine and place your baby on their back for every sleep, day or night.

Can my baby sleep on their side or stomach?

Sleeping a baby on their side or stomach increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), so sleeping them on their backs is the safest option unless your healthcare professional has told you otherwise.

Once your baby can move themselves from their back to their front and back again by themselves, they will be able to find their own sleeping position. Continue to place your baby on their back for every sleep as research has shown that babies who are slept on their front have a greater risk of SIDS, whilst sleeping on their backs is the safest position.

My baby was born prematurely and slept on their front in hospital, is it okay to sleep them on their front at home as well?

Some babies who are born very prematurely and spend time in a neonatal unit are slept on their fronts for medical reasons. Remember that babies in neonatal units are under constant supervision, and by the time your baby comes home, they should be sleeping on their back.

Babies may find it hard to adjust from a sleeping position they have been used to, so persevere and do speak to your paediatrician if you’re worried. Only continue front-sleeping if your paediatrician advises you to for medical reasons.

Read about premature babies, low birth weight babies and SIDS

Is a baby sleeping on their back more likely to choke on their sick?

My mum says I was slept on my front and that was the advice then. Why has it changed?

Many parents will have been slept on their tummies when they were babies, as that was the advice before 1991. But research into sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has since shown that the risk of SIDS is much higher when a baby is placed on their front to sleep.

We know that in the early 1990s, there were thousands of babies worldwide dying suddenly and unexpectedly every year. The reason the number of deaths is much lower now is because of the new advice being followed by parents, which includes lying babies on their backs to sleep.

My baby loves sleeping on their front. How do we move them onto their back without waking them up?

We sometimes get calls from parents who say their baby prefers sleeping on their front. If a baby is given a choice, they might prefer this position, but unfortunately it’s not a safe one and increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

This is why we encourage all parents to follow back-sleeping from day one. Getting your baby to stick to sleeping on their back once they have tried sleeping on their front might be difficult. But it’s easier if you always put them down to sleep whilst they’re awake, rather than allowing them to fall asleep in your arms, then putting them down. Keep going, they will eventually get used to it.

What is the best sleeping position for a baby with reflux?

Back-sleeping is the safest sleeping position for all babies to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), unless your healthcare professional has told you something different. If your baby has reflux, or any other on-going health condition, speak to your doctor about the best care for them.

Don’t sleep your baby on their front unless you have been advised to do so by a medical professional. Don’t incline, tilt or prop the mattress, cot or your baby. Doing so will not help with reflux.

Will a sleep positioner help keep my baby on their back and lower the risk of SIDS?

There is no need to use any type of equipment or rolled up blankets to keep your baby in one position, unless you have been advised to by a health professional for a specific medical condition.

It’s much safer for your baby to be in their cot with just their sheets or blankets, and no extras which they could pull over their face or that could cause an accident. As babies grow stronger they learn to move and roll and this is fine.

A family are gathered around their baby. They are all smiling and looking at the baby and the baby is sat in between two of the men.

Remember

Sleeping your baby on your back will help keep them safe and lower the risk of SIDS so you can rest easy too. We hope this information gives you confidence in sleeping your baby safely.

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