At a glance
- Start every nap and nighttime sleep on the back until 1 year of age, including for babies with reflux.
- Use a separate crib, bassinet or play yard approved for infant sleep, with its properly fitting firm, flat, level mattress and a fitted sheet. Do not incline the mattress or use wedges or positioners.
- Keep pillows, blankets, bumpers, toys and other loose or soft items out. Avoid weighted blankets, swaddles and sleepwear. Keep the head uncovered and avoid overheating; a correctly sized, unweighted sleep sack can replace loose blankets.
- Keep the baby's own sleep space in your room for at least the first 6 months. The AAP advises against sharing a bed with a baby.
- Stop swaddling at the first signs of trying to roll, even if this happens early. A swaddled baby must sleep on the back; swaddling does not prevent SIDS.
- Always start sleep on the back. Once a baby can roll both from back to tummy and from tummy to back independently, you can leave them in the position they reach; keep the sleep space empty.
- Night feeds depend on age, growth and feeding needs. Ask the clinician whether your baby needs waking to feed, especially after premature birth or with poor weight gain. Do not drop feeds to meet a sleep target.
Sleep, feeding and a flexible routine
Newborn sleep is often broken into short stretches, and babies differ. Respond to hunger, discomfort and illness rather than judging success by sleeping through the night.
Try a short, flexible routine: feeding as needed, a diaper change, quiet talking or singing, then the baby's own sleep space. Keep night care calm and dim, and adapt the routine to the baby's cues and your family.
Night feeds depend on age, growth and feeding needs. Ask the clinician whether your baby needs waking to feed, especially after premature birth or with poor weight gain. Do not drop feeds to meet a sleep target.
Families can choose different ways to settle their baby. This planner does not require sleep training, timed crying or a fixed bedtime; meeting feeding needs and using a safe sleep space come first.
Do not give melatonin or other medicines to make a baby sleep unless the baby's clinician specifically advises it. This planner provides no sleep-medicine doses.
Prepare the sleep space for every sleep
Start every nap and nighttime sleep on the back until 1 year of age, including for babies with reflux.
Use a separate crib, bassinet or play yard approved for infant sleep, with its properly fitting firm, flat, level mattress and a fitted sheet. Do not incline the mattress or use wedges or positioners.
Keep pillows, blankets, bumpers, toys and other loose or soft items out. Avoid weighted blankets, swaddles and sleepwear. Keep the head uncovered and avoid overheating; a correctly sized, unweighted sleep sack can replace loose blankets.
Keep the baby's own sleep space in your room for at least the first 6 months. The AAP advises against sharing a bed with a baby.
Consumer breathing or oxygen monitors have not been shown to prevent SIDS and cannot replace a safe sleep space. A reassuring reading must not delay help for a baby who looks unwell; follow the clinician's plan for prescribed medical monitoring.
Rolling and when to stop swaddling
Stop swaddling at the first signs of trying to roll, even if this happens early. A swaddled baby must sleep on the back; swaddling does not prevent SIDS.
Always start sleep on the back. Once a baby can roll both from back to tummy and from tummy to back independently, you can leave them in the position they reach; keep the sleep space empty.
When caregivers are tired
Never sleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair. Bed-sharing risk is especially high with exhaustion, smoking, alcohol or medicines that cause drowsiness, and for babies born early or small. Arrange help from another alert caregiver when possible.
Return the baby to their own sleep space after feeding or comforting, before you sleep. If you might doze while feeding in bed, clear pillows and loose bedding beforehand and move the baby back as soon as you wake; this does not make bed-sharing safe.
If a baby falls asleep in a car seat, stroller, swing or carrier, move them to their own firm, flat sleep surface as soon as possible; during travel, do this after leaving the vehicle. Ask the care team for help obtaining a suitable sleep space if needed.
Sleep changes that need medical advice
Call your local emergency number if the baby is not breathing normally, has blue or grey lips or tongue, is limp, or is very difficult to wake. Do not delay help to fill in this page or check a monitor.
Seek medical advice promptly for much less feeding, fewer wet diapers, unusual sleepiness or poor weight gain. Discuss ongoing sleep concerns with the clinician. If you are unsure about breathing or wakefulness, seek advice now; use emergency help for a suspected emergency sign.
Common questions
Should I wake my baby for night feeds?
Night feeds depend on age, growth and feeding needs. Ask the clinician whether your baby needs waking to feed, especially after premature birth or with poor weight gain. Do not drop feeds to meet a sleep target.
What if my baby rolls onto their tummy?
Always start sleep on the back. Once a baby can roll both from back to tummy and from tummy to back independently, you can leave them in the position they reach; keep the sleep space empty.
Can I raise the mattress for reflux?
No. Babies with reflux should also start every sleep flat on their backs. Raising the mattress or adding a wedge or positioner can obstruct breathing.
Are weighted sleep sacks or blankets safe for babies?
No. Do not use weighted sleep sacks, swaddles or blankets for babies. Use suitable clothing or a correctly sized, unweighted sleep sack instead of loose blankets.
Do we have to use sleep training?
Families can choose different ways to settle their baby. This planner does not require sleep training, timed crying or a fixed bedtime; meeting feeding needs and using a safe sleep space come first.
Does a breathing monitor prevent SIDS?
Consumer breathing or oxygen monitors have not been shown to prevent SIDS and cannot replace a safe sleep space. A reassuring reading must not delay help for a baby who looks unwell; follow the clinician's plan for prescribed medical monitoring.
Sources
- AAP — How to keep your sleeping baby safe
- NIH Safe to Sleep — Ways to reduce baby's risk
- AAP — Getting your baby to sleep
- CDC — How much and how often to breastfeed
- AAP — Melatonin and children's sleep
Written for Pedemy in our own words from the sources above; checked October 2026. For education only, not medical advice. Pedemy is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the organizations cited.