Safe Sleep for Babies: Crib and Nap Tips

In the early 1990s, a major initiative by the French Ministry of Health marked a decisive turning point in the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In fact, successive awareness campaigns aimed at promoting babies sleeping on their backs led to a reduction of about 75% in the rate of SIDS between 1991 and 1997. While the supine position remains the fundamental recommendation for safe sleep, other measures exist to create an optimally safe and serene sleep environment for your baby.

👉 Let’s discover together the key practices to know how to safely lay your baby down to sleep.

SUMMARY:

• The right infant sleep position, for a cloudless night
• A safe crib, for lasting comfort
• Bodysuit, pajamas, and sleep sack—the combo for perfect nights!
• Cool and uncluttered: this is how your baby’s nursery should be
• Baby’s pacifier, your other safety ally?
• Co-sleeping, a solution under supervision
• In summary, the right steps for safe baby sleep

The right infant sleep position, for a cloudless night

Is there anything happier than a baby peacefully sleeping, arms up, tiny fists closed, and completely relaxed? Hardly. So, to support this peaceful surrender in the best way, let’s ask ourselves how to lay your baby down for their comfort and your peace of mind.

In their very first months, newborns are particularly vulnerable, especially at night when their parents are sleeping too. This is why the French Society of Pediatrics and the WHO recommend to always place babies on their backs, flat. Until they are about one year old, at which point they can roll over both ways by themselves, this position dramatically reduces the risk of unexpected infant death (UID).

On the other hand, placing a baby who can't yet roll over on their stomach, facing the mattress, brings a risk of suffocation. Laying a baby on their side isn’t any safer. This unstable position increases the likelihood they’ll roll onto their stomach or against the crib sides and bumpers.

That’s why, for restful sleep for both parents and children reaching for the stars, wherever you may be, never break this rule. On vacation, at grandma’s, or visiting friends, whether your baby sleeps in a crib, car seat, or bassinet… it’s always on the back.😴

A consequence: flat head syndrome

Constant back-sleeping, however, may lead to flat head syndrome, also known as plagiocephaly. This refers to a deformation—sometimes mild, rarely irreversible—of the back of the head in babies who always sleep on their backs and/or always turn their heads to the same side when lying down.

To alleviate it, mobility is key.💡

During wake times, prioritize tummy play to help your child build strength and hold their head up, change their position often, and switch arms when breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Finally, limit time spent in car seats or infant loungers, which are convenient but restrict baby’s movement.

Also, have you heard of pillows meant to prevent flat head syndrome, or baby head wedges? Opinions on these are divided. Some see them as beneficial and harmless, while others consider them unnecessary and dangerous (and against HAS recommendations for baby sleep). So far, no scientific evidence supports their effectiveness.

A safe crib, for lasting comfort

Slatted cribs or bassinets should always be preferred for baby sleep, on one hand because they are designed to keep your baby safe, and on the other, because they offer a firm sleeping surface of proper dimensions.

Too soft a mattress, a bean bag, or the couch—even just for a nap—pose a greater risk of suffocation than a flat, firm mattress.

Bodysuit, pajamas, and sleep sack—the combo for perfect nights!

Similarly, your baby’s bed should always remain empty except for their comfort object or pacifier. So, no comforters, sheets, bed bumpers, blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals, in which they could get tangled, restrained, or suffocate.

To make up for the absence of bedding and ensure your baby won’t be cold, dress them in a bodysuit and/or pajamas paired with a sleep sack suited to their size and the season.

Cool and uncluttered: this is how your baby’s nursery should be

For good sleep, the ideal is a quiet, decluttered, cool, and shaded bedroom. For your baby, it’s the same: 66°F for a tidy, well-aired nursery, ventilated every day, with no scent of cleaning products or tobacco residue nearby.⛔

💡 In parallel, naps in daylight and nighttime in dim light will help your little one distinguish between day and night.

Note: If you have pets 🐕, 🐈, or 🐇, teach them—even before your child is born—to keep their fur out of the nursery, to both reduce allergy risks and keep the bed from being (however lovingly) invaded.

Baby’s pacifier, your other safety ally?

Several studies in recent years have looked at the possible additional protective effect of pacifiers for babies at night. In New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US, babies who used pacifiers more systematically were significantly less affected by the risk of SIDS.

Still, the potential protective mechanisms are neither clear nor scientifically proven. While it does not eliminate the need for other precautions, it seems that pacifier use encourages babies to stay on their backs, improves airflow between mouth and nose, and influences heart and breathing rhythms, reducing the risk of accidental hypoxia.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends, however, systematically offering a pacifier for nighttime and every nap up to age one. After that, baby can learn to fall back asleep without it.

Co-sleeping, a solution under supervision

The principle of co-sleeping is sharing your child’s sleep space—that is, sleeping with them. While this choice is yours, keep in mind that co-sleeping when done in the same bed may increase the risk of SIDS. Why? Often a mattress that’s too soft, extra blankets, heavy duvets, pillows, or even parents’ nighttime movements.

For added safety—and because sleeping in the same room as your baby also has many benefits—co-sleeping cribs are available. These attach right next to your bed and offer a removable side for easy access to your baby—especially helpful when breastfeeding.

You can also place the baby’s bassinet in your room to see and hear your baby at all times. This is called co-rooming 🧑‍🧑‍🧒. And whatever you choose, always remain vigilant about the following points:

• do not use sleeping pills, drugs, or alcohol when sleeping with your child,
• avoid long or pointed pajama cords and jewelry that could wrap around or injure your baby,
• never take two babies into your bed at the same time,
• keep pets out,
• make sure your newborn can't slip or fall out of bed and ensure the co-sleeping crib is securely attached with a proper mattress.

In summary, the right steps for safe baby sleep

• Always place your baby on their back for sleep.
• Practice room-sharing or co-sleeping, being extremely cautious.
• Keep their crib empty—no blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals.
• Dress your baby in a bodysuit or pajamas and an appropriately sized sleep sack for the season, and nothing else.
• Choose a firm mattress that your baby cannot sink into.
• Maintain a room temperature around 66°F.
• Do not smoke or use chemical cleaners near your baby.
• Once breastfeeding is well established or from four weeks old, offer a physiological pacifier to accompany their sleep.

While laying your newborn on their back and without a blanket is essential in the first months, also trust your instincts to know what’s right for your child. Watch them sleep, take inspiration from their natural postures, moments of comfort, and the experiences of other moms around you to create the safest and most serene cocoon possible.

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