Safe sleep for babies

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safe sleep

Some parents choose to sleep with their baby. 

To make sure your baby (birth to one year old) is as safe as possible:

  • Always put your baby to sleep on his/her back.
  • Make sure no one smokes around your baby.
  • Breastfeed your baby.
  • Put your baby to sleep in the room where you sleep.
  • Remove soft fluffy bedding, pillows, stuffed toys and bumper pads from your baby’s sleep area.
  • Try a sleep sack instead of a blanket. 
  • Avoid placing your baby to sleep on soft things like couches or upholstered chairs, waterbeds, beanbag chairs, quilts or comforters.
  • Talk with grandparents and other caregivers about this safe sleep information.
  • Offer a pacifier at nap time and bedtime. This helps to reduce the risk of SIDS. If you are breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is going well before offering a pacifier. This usually takes 3 to 4 weeks. It's OK if your baby doesn't want to use a pacifier. You can try offering again, but some babies don't like to use pacifiers. If your baby takes a pacifier and it falls out after he falls asleep, you don’t have to put it back in.
  • Use a firm sleep surface.
  • Avoid overheating and head covering.

Please talk to you healthcare provider about any concerns you may have.

It can be unsafe to sleep with your baby if:

  • Your baby is less than 4 months old.
  • Your bed has pillows, quilts, or comforters.
  • You share the bed with pets or other children.
  • You are sleeping on a soft surface such as a waterbed, old mattress, sofa, couch or armchair.
  • You or your partner:
    • Smokes
    • Has taken drugs, alcohol, or medications that make you sleepy
    • Are very tired or suffer from extreme exhaustion.