Safe Sleep Recommendations
There are so many different opinions when it comes to sleep. Want to rock your baby to sleep? Go for it. Want your kiddo to fall asleep in independently? I can help you with that. I truly believe them when it comes to sleep, each family is different. That's one of the reasons that I built my business the way that I did – so that I can take into consideration what works best for individual families. Each plan is customized to your needs and comfort level.
I do think that there is one thing that we can all agree on: while our children are sleeping we want them to be safe. Here are safe sleep recommendations not just from me, but also from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Back is best. Babies should be placed in their crib on their backs until at least one year old.
Firm sleep surface. Babies should be placed on a firm sleep surface covered by a fitted sheet. Nothing else. No blanket, no lovey, no bumpers! Babies should never sleep on a sofa, chair, or in your bed.
Breastfeeding is recommended. Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS. Also, breastfeeding does not work for every family. Fed is best.
Room share, not bed share. Babies should share a room (not a bed!) with a parent until the child is at least 6 months -- preferably one year -- old.
Crib should be clear – no soft objects. Again, there should be nothing in a baby’s crib. No blankets, pillows, loveys, loose bedding. Infant sleep clothing, such as a swaddle or sleep sack, is preferrable to blankets to keep the baby warm. Bumpers, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. all pose a suffocation risk to children.
Consider a pacifier. After breastfeeding (if applicable) has been established, a pacifier at naptime and bedtime has been shown to lower the risk of SIDS. This appears to be true even if the pacifier falls out of the infant’s mouth.
Avoid drugs and alcohol during pregnancy and after birth. Prenatal drugs and/or alcohol abuse increase the risk or injury. Alcohol or drug use in combination with bedsharing is particularly risky.
Avoid overheating. Infants should be dressed appropriately for their sleeping environment. A good rule of thumb is to use no more than one layer more than an adult would use in a similar environment.
Regular prenatal care. Infants should be immunized in accordance with the recommendations of the AAP and CDC.
Avoid commercial devices inconsistent with safe sleep recommendations. Refer to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for standards regarding bedside sleepers. There are no safety standards for in-bed sleepers.
Visit https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/5/e20162938 for the full article.
There are a few more tips that I would add:
All furniture should be anchored to the walls. Do this now. Shelves and dressers can look like great climbing structures to your kiddos.
All cords should be secured. Hide them behind furniture if you can.
A child should not be able to reach anything (cords, shelves, monitor) from their crib. There should not be furniture close to the crib that a child could climb on to.
Get down on your child’s level. Crawl around the room to see what looks enticing from their eye level. As your child gets older and more mobile, you need to view their entire room as a crib in the event that they climb out of their bed.
As always - please send me an email at nikki@nikkinelsonsleepconsulting.com with any questions.