How can you put a newborn to sleep safely?

Which position should your baby sleep in?

Place your baby on their back at the start of every sleep until their first birthday. Side sleeping is unstable and can make it easier to roll onto the stomach. Tummy time is for when your baby is awake and an adult is watching continuously. The starting position is the same at night, during the day and for short naps.

It is understandable to worry that back sleeping might cause choking when your baby spits up. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend back sleeping on a flat surface even for babies with reflux. Airway anatomy and the gag reflex help protect them. If your baby has a particular medical condition, ask their clinician for an individual plan rather than changing their sleeping position yourself.

What does a safe sleep surface look like?

Use a crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard that meets applicable safety standards. The surface must be firm, flat and level, without noticeably sinking under your baby’s weight. The mattress must fit the product properly, with only a tightly fitted sheet over it. Do not use a crib with broken or missing parts or without its instructions.

Remove pillows, loose sheets and blankets, comforters, stuffed toys, bumpers, cushions, baby nests and positioners from the sleep space. Weighted sleep sacks, swaddles and blankets are not safe for babies. Marketing a product as comfortable or suitable for reflux does not make it a safe place to sleep.

What is the difference between sharing a room and sharing a bed?

The recommended arrangement is to share your room while your baby sleeps on a separate surface close to your bed, ideally for at least the first six months. This makes feeding, comforting and checking on your baby easier while reducing the risk of adult pillows, bedding or bodies covering them.

Do not make an adult bed your baby’s planned sleep space. If you bring your baby into bed to feed or comfort them, return them to their own surface before you fall asleep. If there is a chance you might doze off, first move pillows, covers and anything that could cover your baby’s face away from the area. Move your baby back to their own sleep space as soon as you wake. These precautions do not make bed sharing safe.

How can you plan night feeds when you are very tired?

Falling asleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair is particularly dangerous because of soft surfaces and gaps where a baby can become trapped. Before feeding, notice how sleepy you feel. If possible, ask another adult to stay with you and help you return your baby to the crib afterward. An alarm may remind you, but it cannot prevent you from falling asleep or guarantee safety.

Exhaustion is not a personal failure; it is a predictable part of newborn care. Rather than relying only on willpower, prepare water, care supplies and a safe sleep space before the night begins. Discuss sharing care with anyone who can support you.

What if your baby falls asleep in a car seat, swing or bouncer?

A car seat used correctly in a vehicle is for safe travel. Swings, bouncers, carriers and inclined products are not routine sleep surfaces. If your baby falls asleep in one, transfer them to a firm, flat, safe sleep surface on their back as soon as practical and safe.

Do not raise the head of the crib mattress for reflux or put towels or wedges underneath it. An incline can cause your baby to slide into a position that affects their airway. Home breathing and oxygen monitors do not replace a safe sleep setup and have not been shown to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

What changes with swaddling and rolling?

If you choose to swaddle, place your baby only on their back. Do not squeeze their chest; allow room for hip and leg movement and avoid overheating. Swaddling is not a method of reducing SIDS risk, and weighted swaddles should not be used. Stop swaddling as soon as your baby shows signs of trying to roll, even if this happens earlier than expected.

Continue to start every sleep on your baby’s back. Once they can comfortably roll from back to stomach and from stomach to back by themselves, you do not need to keep turning them over throughout the night. Their sleep space must still be clear. Newborns are not expected to have this skill, so do not change their starting position.

How can you dress your baby without overheating?

Instead of a loose blanket, you can use appropriately fitted sleep clothing or a non-weighted sleep sack. The AAP generally recommends no more than one additional layer compared with what an adult would wear comfortably in the same conditions. Sweating, a hot chest and flushed skin can be signs of overheating.

Keep your baby’s head uncovered when sleeping indoors; do not routinely use a hat for sleep after coming home from the hospital. Never cover their face. Rather than looking for one perfect room temperature, consider clothing layers, how their chest feels and whether they are sweating.

What can you check today?

Clear the crib: apart from a fitted sheet, check that there are no pillows, loose bedding, toys, bumpers or positioners.

Place your baby on their back for every sleep and share the same three rules with other caregivers: back sleeping, a flat surface and a clear crib.

Decide where you will feed at night and who can help if you become sleepy. Keep sofas and armchairs out of the plan.