Safe sleep is an issue that regularly makes the news, and something parents may experience anxiety about. If your child is sleeping in your room, their own room or bed sharing we want to reduce the risk of SIDS, we can do this when we put our child down to sleep in a safe environment. Here are some safe sleep tips.
- Always place your child on their back to sleep. If they can roll over onto their tummy you do not need to worry about them sleeping on their side or tummy.
- Do not let your child have a pillow or any stuffed animals in their sleep space until they are at least 12 months old.
- Do not use a crib bumper, these can be a suffocation risk.
- If bed sharing, make sure that there is no gap between the mattress and headboard or wall.
- The ideal temperature for sleeping is 65F.
- Keep your baby away from cigarette smoke.
- Offer a pacifier when you child goes down to sleep. Studies show that the risk of SIDS is reduced when your child uses a pacifier when they sleep.
- If baby is using a crib or separate sleeping surface such as a co-sleeper, swaddle your baby, the Ergobaby Swaddler is perfect for this. Some studies show that being swaddled reduces the risk of SIDS.
- If bed sharing, the Ergobaby Sleep Sack is a good option, as you can swaddle baby with arms out. (Babies who bed share should not have arms swaddled.)
- Do not bed share if you have older children or animals on the bed and be sure to follow guidelines for safe bed sharing.
Rebecca Michi
‘Rebecca Michi is an English gentle children’s sleep consultant and author based in Seattle. Rebecca works with families who have children under 6 years old and uses only the gentlest techniques and encourages parents to use their instincts when helping their child sleep. Rebecca uses many different gentle sleep training techniques, and never uses cry-it-out. For more information or consultations, find her at her website.
