How to create a safe sleeping environment

Putting your baby down to sleep for the night – or at least for the early part of the night, given the practical certainty that they will awake at least once during your own sleep cycle – is something that will, at least initially, be nerve-racking for any new parent. In order to ensure that their newborn has a safe sleeping environment, many parents will keep the baby in the parental bed with them in order to keep them close by and prevent them from feeling isolated. Other parents are terrified to do this for fear of rolling over and hurting the child.   Either way there are concerns to bear in mind.

Having a crib for your baby is something that any parent will want to look into and do properly so as not to risk anything going wrong. The incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is something that has reduced greatly in the last few decades, but at one time it was a huge concern for parents worldwide. Improvements in the manufacture of bedding and the simple instruction to always put your baby on its back to sleep have led to this reduction, but most parents will still have concerns when it comes to bedtime for their child. A firm, flat surface is best for a child to sleep, so it is best not to have a pillow in their crib.

Avoiding the following will help ensure a safe sleeping environment for your baby:

• curtains with dangling cords: present the risk of strangling
• too soft a mattress: presents the risk of suffocation
• too large bed sheets: presents the risk of suffocation
• too close to heater/direct sunlight: presents the risk of overheating
• too many or too thick blankets: present the risk of overheating

Keeping your baby’s crib tidy, fitted with the proper bedding and in a moderatly temperatured room out of direct sunlight (on the crib) will ensure a safe sleeping environment for your infant.

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