Safer sleep advice for babies

Safer sleep for babies: the basics

Following this advice for every sleep, day and night, reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, previously known as cot death). Our safer sleep advice has saved the lives of over 31,951 babies since 1991.

The safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own clear, flat, firm separate sleep space (e.g. a cot or Moses basket) in the same room as you.

1. Lie your baby on their back.
2. Keep their cot clear.
3. Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress.
4. Keep baby smoke-free.
5. Avoid your baby getting too hot.
6. Sleep your baby in the same room as you for at least the first six months.

The safest cot is a clear cot

The safest cot for a baby is a clear cot. That means removing anything that isn’t essential. Babies need just two items in their cot:

• A firm, flat, waterproof mattress.
• Lightweight bedding. 

It’s important to remove anything that isn’t essential because items such as toys, blankets and bumpers could cover their face and obstruct their breathing.

When preparing your baby’s sleep space, remember: 

• No pillows or duvets 
• No cot bumpers  
• No soft toys or comforters  
• No weighted or bulky bedding 
• No products designed to keep your baby in one sleeping position, such as wedges or straps  
• No pods or nests, rolled up towels or anything soft placed on top of the mattress. 

Routine

Creating a sleep-preparation routine that follows our advice on safer sleep for babies can help safer sleep become habit. It can seem challenging to follow when you are very tired, and it may be tempting to do something different. Routine is key and doing something differently to what you’d usually do can be unsafe. For example, babies who are normally slept on their backs but sometimes slept on their fronts are at higher risk of SIDS.