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Safe Sleep for Babies
Where and how your baby sleeps matters. This guide brings together the American Academy of Pediatrics’ core safe sleep recommendations — sleep position, sleep surface, room-sharing, and the everyday habits that reduce risk — in one place, with links to more detailed guides on crib setup, sleep position, and swaddling.
- KEY TAKEAWAYS
Place your baby on their back for every sleep, on a firm, flat surface with nothing else in it. Room-share — but don’t bed-share — for at least the first 6 months, and keep the sleep space smoke-free and not too warm.
- WHY THIS MATTERS
Unsafe sleep environments are linked to a real increase in the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related infant deaths. Following the guidelines below for every sleep — not just some — is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce that risk.
What Is Safe Sleep?
“Safe sleep” refers to a small set of evidence-based practices — sleep position, sleep surface, and sleep location — that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for every sleep, for the first year of life. None of them require special products; they’re mostly about what to leave out of the crib and where your baby sleeps in relation to you.
Back to Sleep, Every Time
Always place your baby on their back for naps and at night, for the first year of life. Back sleeping is recommended for every baby, including those born prematurely or with reflux. Once your baby can roll from back to stomach and back again on their own — often starting around 2 months — you can let them stay in whatever position they land in. If they can only roll one way, gently reposition them onto their back.
A Firm, Flat, Bare Sleep Surface
Use a crib, bassinet, or play yard that meets Consumer Product Safety Commission safety standards, with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet — nothing else. Keep pillows, blankets, quilts, comforters, mattress toppers, bumpers, and soft toys out of the sleep space entirely, and avoid inclined sleepers or surfaces angled more than about 10 degrees.
Room-Sharing, Not Bed-Sharing
The AAP recommends room-sharing — keeping your baby’s sleep surface in your bedroom, close to your bed — for at least the first 6 months, ideally the first year. This is different from bed-sharing, which means your baby sleeping in the same bed as you.
- AVOID BED-SHARING
The AAP does not recommend bed-sharing under any circumstances, even for breastfeeding or comforting your baby. Move your baby back to their own sleep surface when you’re done.
Pacifiers, Temperature & Smoke Exposure
Offering a pacifier at naptime and bedtime is linked to a lower SIDS risk; if you’re breastfeeding, most guidance suggests waiting until breastfeeding is well established first. Avoid overheating — your baby generally needs only one more layer of clothing than you’d wear, and weighted blankets or sleepwear aren’t recommended. Keep your home and car smoke- and vape-free, both during pregnancy and after your baby is born.
Next Steps
The guides below go deeper on specific safe sleep topics: how to set up a crib correctly, what to know about sleep position as your baby grows, and how to swaddle safely.
Sources
This guide is based on published guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics via HealthyChildren.org (“How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained”) and the NICHD Safe to Sleep campaign. It is provided for general education and does not replace your pediatrician’s advice.