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Safe sleep guidance can feel like a long list of rules, but most of it boils down to one simple framework that's easy to remember: the ABCs — Alone, on their Back, in a Crib.
The ABC rule
- Alone — baby sleeps in their own sleep space, not in bed with a parent.
- Back — always place baby on their back to sleep, for naps and at night.
- Crib — a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard with a firm, flat surface — not a couch, adult bed, or inclined sleeper.
What to keep out of the crib
Current guidance recommends a bare crib for infants: no pillows, blankets, bumpers, or stuffed animals, since soft bedding is linked to a higher suffocation risk. A fitted sheet on a firm mattress is all that's recommended for the sleep surface itself.
Room-sharing without bed-sharing
Many pediatric guidelines recommend room-sharing — keeping baby's crib or bassinet in the parents' room — for at least the first six months, since it's associated with a lower risk of sleep-related infant death, while still keeping baby on their own separate sleep surface.
Other safe sleep habits
- Keep the room at a comfortable temperature — avoid overbundling.
- Use a wearable blanket or sleep sack instead of loose blankets.
- Offer a pacifier at sleep times once breastfeeding is established, if desired.
- Avoid smoke exposure, both during pregnancy and after birth.
- Give supervised tummy time while awake — it's different from sleep position.
Once a baby can roll
Once a baby can roll independently both ways, it's generally fine to let them settle into whatever position they land in during sleep — you don't need to keep flipping them back, though you should still place them on their back to start each sleep period.
