Safe sleep guidelines for parents and babies

At Tommee Tippee, safety is at the heart of everything we do. We always advise parents to consider these safe sleep guidelines from The Lullaby Trust.

These are most important during baby's first six months, when SIDS risk is at its highest... 

Always place your child on their back - not their front or side - to sleep

• Special equipment or products are not needed to keep them on their back.
• Once they start to roll from front to back by themselves, you can leave them to find their own position for sleep.
• Practising tummy time while your baby is awake can help to strengthen the muscles needed for rolling over.

Give your baby a clear, safe sleep space, in the same room as you

• Babies should always be in the same room as you for the first six months for sleep, day and night.
• Use a cot or Moses basket with a firm, flat mattress with no raised or cushioned areas.
• Don't use pillows, quilts, duvets, bumpers, pods, nests or sleep positioners.
• Make sure your baby's head is kept uncovered so they don't get too hot.
• Try to keep the room temperature between 16°C and 20°C so your baby does not get too hot or cold and make sure bedding is appropriate for the time of year.
• If using a baby sleeping bag, no extra bedding is needed.
• Place baby at the bottom of the cot so that they cannot wriggle under covers - this is called 'feet to foot'.
• Ensure that the sleep space is kept clear of all items and there's nothing in reach like blind cords, nappy sacks, or soft toys.
• Babies should not be allowed to sleep in bouncy chairs and should not be left sleeping in the car seat when not travelling in the car. Car seats are not to be used as sleep spaces in the house.

Keep their environment smoke-free before and after birth

• Smoking in pregnancy greatly increases the chance of SIDS - all pregnant women should make every effort to take up the help to stop smoking provided locally.
• You should also avoid being exposed to others' smoke when you are pregnant - if your partner smokes, they can get help to quit too.
• Keep your baby away from smoke in your home, car and out and about.

Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair

• Sofas and armchairs are dangerous places to fall asleep with your baby - move somewhere safer if you might fall asleep.
• The risk of SIDS is 50 times higher for babies when they sleep on a sofa or armchair with an adult. They are also at risk of accidental death as they can easily slip into a position where they are trapped and can't breathe.

Check on your baby to make sure they're not too hot or cold

• A room temperature of 16-20°C - with light bedding or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleep bag - is comfortable and safe for sleeping babies.
• The best way to check on your baby's temperature is by putting your hand on the skin on their chest or the back of their neck. Don't use their hands or feet as a guide as they will always feel cooler than the rest of their body.
• If your baby is too hot you will feel the skin is hot, slightly clammy or sweaty, and you will need to remove some layers.