Following safer sleep advice can reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sometimes called cot death. Although SIDS is rare, it still affects around 200 babies each year in the UK.
There are simple steps you can take to help keep your baby safe while they sleep:
- Always place your baby on their back to sleep, in a cot or Moses basket. Sleeping on a sofa or armchair with a baby can increase the risk of SIDS by up to 50 times.
- Keep your baby in the same room as you, or the person caring for them, for every sleep, day and night, during the first six months.
- Keep your baby smoke-free, day and night.
- Do not share a bed with your baby if you or anyone else has been smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs or medication that causes drowsiness.
- Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair, as this greatly increases the risk of SIDS.
Expert advice
- Bed-sharing is not recommended if your baby was born before 37 weeks or weighed less than 2.5kg (5.5lbs) at birth.
- For premature babies, follow safer sleep advice for one year from their due date.
- Make sure anyone caring for your baby, including family members, friends and childminders, knows and follows safer sleep advice.
Learn more
Watch these short videos for practical advice on creating a safe sleeping environment for your baby.
Safer Sleep for Babies
Buying baby products: A Guide for parents
Other resources
- Public Health Agency – Safer sleeping: Reducing the risk of sudden infant death
- The Lullaby Trust – Safer sleep advice for babies
- The Lullaby Trust – Safer sleep advice for other carers or babysitters
- The Lullaby Trust: Co-sleeping with your baby
- The Lullaby Trust: Premature and low birth weight babies
- UNICEF: Caring for your baby at night and when sleepingÂ