Do you know the rules to safe sleep for infants? Our experts share these easy tips to help protect your baby while sleeping or napping.
In their first year of life, babies can spend anywhere from 11 to 16 hours a day sleeping, between naps and nighttime. That’s a lot of time snoozing! Because of that, it’s important for parents and caregivers to make sure their infants are placed in recommended sleeping positions. Safe sleep practices are put in place to prevent something called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
ABCs of Sleep
While SIDS is extremely scary, there are many things we can do to help prevent these deaths. The main thing is to follow the safe sleep ABCs:
- Babies are safest Alone,
- on their Back,
- in an empty Crib or bassinet with a firm sleep surface and covered in a fitted sheet with no other bedding.
Always place babies on their backs to sleep (never on their bellies) to help prevent SIDS.
While it is important that baby is alone in their bed, room sharing is ideal for the first six months. Baby sleep can be one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of new parenting for many families and knowing the rules around what’s safe and what’s not, can help you feel more confident as you navigate the first year, and especially those first few months with your baby.
Additional Safe Sleep Resources
- AAP Safe Sleep Policy
- How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: Explanation of AAP Policy Explained
- Safe Sleep Flyer (Akron Children’s Hospital)
- Safe Sleep Tips (Akron Children’s Hospital)
- Safe Sleep Training (Akron Children’s Hospital)
Questions?
Have questions or want more information? Contact your Summit DD contact for additional support or resources on sleep safety for your little one.
