Safe baby sleep

What this is about

Safe sleep is one of the few topics experts have broadly agreed on for decades. It is not about being perfect, but about keeping the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) as low as possible. Professional bodies deliberately speak of reducing risk, not of a guarantee. That is an important difference that relieves many parents: you can do a great deal right without having to control everything.

Sleeping on the back

Always place your baby on their back to sleep, for the night and for naps. The back is considered the safest sleeping position. Since this advice was introduced in the 1990s, SIDS rates have fallen markedly. When your baby can later roll from back to front and back again on their own, you do not need to keep turning them during the night. For laying them down, the back stays the rule.

The right sleep environment

A firm, flat mattress without soft padding is ideal. Avoid pillows, thick blankets, bumpers, soft toys and positioning aids in the bed. They look cosy but are not recommended. A baby sleep sack in the right size is safer than a blanket: it cannot slip over the face and the baby cannot kick free. The room may be on the cool side, around 16 to 18 degrees.

Smoke-free and its own bed

A smoke-free environment is one of the most effective measures of all, during pregnancy and afterwards. Your baby should never be exposed to tobacco smoke. Experts recommend that during the first year your baby sleeps in their own cot in the parents bedroom. That way they are close to you but have their own safe sleeping place.

Breastfeeding and the dummy

Breastfeeding further lowers the SIDS risk, every period of nursing counts and no pressure if it does not work out. A dummy at sleep time can also lower the risk if your baby likes it. If it falls out during sleep, you do not need to put it back in. What always matters is the overall picture of back sleeping, smoke-free, sleep sack and their own safe sleeping place.

When the fear is great

Many parents lie awake listening for whether their baby is still breathing. This worry is not a sign of weakness, it shows how seriously you take your responsibility. If the fear weighs on you heavily or you are unsure about a specific point, talk to your midwife or paediatrician. They know the current recommendations and can reassure you very concretely. This text does not replace medical advice.