Safer sleep basics

Put your baby on their back, on a firm, flat mattress, in a clear cot or Moses basket, in the same room as you. That's the core of it. The NHS says to do this for every sleep, and to keep your baby in your room for at least the first 6 months. The Lullaby Trust gives the same advice in its guide for parents, and it spells out day and night.

None of it costs extra. The Lullaby Trust says no special equipment is needed to keep a baby on their back.

This page is a plain summary of those two sources, written by someone who isn't a doctor. If you're worried about your baby's sleep or health, speak to your doctor or health visitor.

The four things to do every sleep

• On the back. The Lullaby Trust says the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has dropped by 81% since its Back to Sleep campaign in 1991.
• On a firm, flat surface. The Lullaby Trust's test: your baby's head sinks in by no more than a few millimetres. The mattress should have no raised or cushioned areas and a waterproof cover.
• In a clear cot. Pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, loose blankets and soft toys all stay out, says the NHS. So do pods and nests.
• In your room. The NHS says a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for at least the first 6 months.

SIDS is rare, the NHS says. It's also more likely in the first 6 months, though it can affect babies up to 12 months old. If your baby was born early, the NHS says to follow this advice for a year from their due date, not the date they were born.

When your baby starts to roll

Keep putting them down on their back. The NHS says to move them back if they roll, until they can roll onto their front and back again by themselves. After that, the Lullaby Trust says you can leave them to find their own position.

Tummy time while awake helps build the muscles for rolling, according to the Lullaby Trust.

Bedding and temperature

Both sources give the same figure for the room: 16 to 20C. A room thermometer is on the Lullaby Trust's short list of essentials, and it needn't be fancy.

Use a baby sleeping bag, or sheets and light blankets. With a sleeping bag, the Lullaby Trust says no extra bedding is needed. With blankets, tuck them in firmly, no higher than the shoulders, and lay your baby with their feet at the foot of the cot so they can't wriggle under.

To check for overheating, the NHS says to feel your baby's chest or the back of their neck. Cool hands and feet are normal. Keep their head uncovered indoors.

Places that aren't for sleep

Plenty of baby kit is fine for sitting in and wrong for sleeping in. The Lullaby Trust advises against letting babies sleep in anything seated or inclined, and it names bouncy chairs, baby swings, baby hammocks and beanbags. If your baby nods off in one, move them onto a firm, flat, clear surface.

Car seats are for travelling. The NHS says it's OK for your baby to fall asleep in one on the way, then to take them out as soon as you get where you're going. The Lullaby Trust adds regular breaks on longer journeys.

Pushchairs get similar treatment. The Lullaby Trust advises against sleep in a seated or inclined position, such as in pushchairs or buggies. If there's no other option, it says a baby needs to be lying completely flat. Reclined isn't enough.

Our article on nests, bumpers and wedges goes through the products people ask about most.

Sofas, armchairs and shared beds

Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair. Both sources are blunt about this one. If you think you might fall asleep, put your baby in their own sleep space first.

The Lullaby Trust and the NHS both say the safest place is a separate cot or Moses basket. Both also know bed-sharing happens, planned or not, so they give advice for it.

It's dangerous to share a bed with your baby if:

• you or anyone in the bed has recently drunk any alcohol (Lullaby Trust; the NHS names 2 or more units)
• you or your partner smoke, even if never in bed (NHS), or you or your baby was exposed to smoking in pregnancy (Lullaby Trust)
• you or anyone in the bed has taken drugs or medicine that make you sleepy
• your baby was born before 37 weeks or weighed under 2.5kg at birth

If you do share a bed at any time, the two sources list these steps: a firm, flat mattress with your baby on their back; pillows and adult bedding kept away; no other children or pets in the bed; checking your baby can't fall out or get trapped; and never leaving them alone in an adult bed. The NHS also says not to swaddle.

US advice differs, and we keep it separate. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says it "cannot support bed-sharing under any circumstances". Cradle Fox is for UK parents, so we lead with the UK sources above. Your health visitor can talk through your own situation.

Other things the NHS lists

Keep your baby smoke-free, before and after birth. The Lullaby Trust also says babies need a sober carer, so plan ahead if you'll be drinking. Breastfeed if you can; the Lullaby Trust says any breastfeeding lowers the risk. The NHS also says to think about a dummy to settle your baby to sleep, because some research suggests it can help lower the risk of SIDS, and to keep routine vaccinations up to date.

What you can skip

The Lullaby Trust's list of essentials is short: a cot or Moses basket, a portable sleep space, a mattress, a sleeping bag or sheets and a blanket, a room thermometer, and a car seat. That's it.

Be wary of anything claiming to lower the risk of SIDS, says the same guide. It says such claims are "almost always not true". A British Standard is worth having, but the Lullaby Trust says it doesn't tell you a product reduces SIDS risk.

Spending more doesn't buy safer sleep either, by its account. A plain cot with a firm, flat, waterproof mattress meets every point above. You can compare cots and mattresses by budget, work out whether you want a basket, a crib or a cot first, or see what else matters at 0 to 3 months.