---
title: "Safer sleep for your baby"
description: "How to set up every sleep to lower the risk of SIDS, what UK and US advice says about bed sharing, and when to get help fast."
url: "https://myruva.co/learn/safer-sleep-for-your-baby"
language: "en-GB"
topic: "After a birth"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-10-21"
author: "Ruva team"
reading_minutes: 8
---

# Safer sleep for your baby

How to set up every sleep to lower the risk of SIDS, what UK and US advice says about bed sharing, and when to get help fast.

*Written and reviewed by the Ruva team · Updated 2026-10-21 · After a birth*

## Key points

- Put your baby on their back for every sleep, including naps.
- A separate cot or Moses basket in your room, with a firm, flat mattress and nothing else in it, is the safest place for your baby to sleep.
- Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby.
- Keep your baby smoke-free and not too hot.
- UK guidance explains how to share a bed more safely, while US guidance does not recommend bed sharing at all.

Put your baby on their back, in a clear cot or Moses basket, in the room where you sleep. UK and US guidance agree on nearly all of this. Bed sharing is where they part ways.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby aged up to 12 months. The NHS describes it as rare, but it does still happen. It's more likely in the first 6 months, and it can happen at any time a baby is asleep, day or night. Nobody knows what causes it, but some things raise the risk. The steps below lower that risk without being able to rule SIDS out, and they apply to every sleep, naps included.

## On their back, every time

Lay your baby on their back to sleep in the feet-to-foot position, with their feet at the bottom of the cot, Moses basket or pram. NICHD, which runs the US Safe to Sleep campaign, is firm that side or tummy sleeping isn't safe, not even for a nap, and that includes babies born early and babies with reflux.

If your baby rolls onto their front, the NHS says to move them onto their back until they can roll both ways by themselves. From then, NICHD says you can leave them in the position they choose, after starting each sleep on their back.

If your baby was born prematurely, the NHS suggests following the safer sleep advice for a year from their due date, not the date they were born.

## A bare, firm, flat space close to you

The NHS advises a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for every sleep for at least the first 6 months. CDC suggests the same room, ideally until your baby is at least 6 months old.

What goes in the sleep space matters as much as where it is:

- a firm, flat mattress that is level, not tilted or inclined
- nothing that could cover your baby's face and head, so no pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, loose blankets or soft toys
- no pods, nests or anything else meant to keep your baby in place

Sloping surfaces aren't safe because a baby's body can slide down and their head can slump forward, which could block their breathing. Products such as inclined sleepers are linked to injury and death, and no product can prevent SIDS. A cot with only a fitted sheet in it may look bare, but US advice calls it the safest option.

The two countries differ a little on covers. The NHS suggests lightweight blankets, sheets or a baby sleeping bag. US advice keeps everything except a fitted sheet out of the sleep area, and suggests a wearable blanket or an extra layer of clothing to keep your baby warm instead.

## Not too hot, and free of smoke

Overheating can increase the risk of SIDS. The NHS suggests:

- keeping the room at about 16 to 20C, checked with a room thermometer
- feeling your baby's chest or the back of their neck to check their temperature (cool hands and feet are nothing to worry about)
- removing a layer of clothing or bedding if their skin is hot or sweating
- taking off hats and extra clothing as soon as you come indoors, even if it means waking your baby

Babies should never sleep with a hot water bottle or electric blanket, next to a radiator, heater or fire, or in direct sunlight.

Don't smoke in pregnancy or around your baby after they're born, and don't let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby. Second-hand smoke at home, in the car or anywhere else your baby spends time raises the risk too.

## Sofas, armchairs and feeds in the night

Don't sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby. They're extremely dangerous places to drift off while feeding, comforting or snuggling your baby.

Before you bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort them, US advice is to think honestly about how tired you are. If there's a chance you may fall asleep, remove all items and bedding from your side of the bed first, including pillows, blankets and unfitted sheets. If you do fall asleep with your baby in your bed, put them back into their own sleep area as soon as you wake up. Research shows that the longer an adult shares a bed with a baby, the higher the baby's risk.

## Bed sharing: where UK and US advice differs

Both countries agree that a separate sleep space close to you is safest. They differ on bed sharing.

| | UK (NHS and NICE) | US (NICHD) |
|---|---|---|
| Bed sharing | NICE asks health professionals to discuss safer practices for bed sharing with parents | Not recommended, because it increases the risk of SIDS and sleep-related death |
| If it happens | Firm, flat mattress, baby on their back, pillows, sheets and blankets kept away | Clear soft items and bedding from your side of the bed, then move your baby back to their own space |
| Other people and pets | No other babies, children or pets in the bed | Babies shouldn't share an adult mattress, couch or armchair with others or with pets |

If you do co-sleep, the NHS says not to swaddle your baby (baby sleeping bags are safer) or leave them alone in an adult bed, and to make sure they can't fall out or get trapped between the mattress and the wall.

### Times not to share a bed at all

The NHS says not to share a bed with your baby if they were born before 37 weeks of pregnancy or weighed less than 2.5kg (5.5lb) at birth. NHS and NICE guidance both say the same applies if you or your partner:

- smoke, no matter where or when, even if you never smoke in bed
- have had 2 or more units of alcohol
- have taken recreational drugs
- have taken medicine that makes you feel drowsy

The 2-unit figure is UK guidance. US advice from NICHD lists these as very high risk: a soft surface such as a waterbed, old adult mattress, couch or armchair; an adult who is very tired, taking medicine that makes them drowsy, using substances like alcohol, or whose ability to respond is affected in some way; or an adult who smokes, even if not in the bed. It also lists two high-risk situations: a baby younger than 4 months, and an adult who is a caregiver other than the baby's parent, such as a grandparent or sibling.

## Car seats, slings and naps out and about

The NHS says it's fine for your baby to fall asleep in a car seat while you're travelling, but take them out as soon as you arrive. US advice is not to use car seats, strollers or slings for regular sleep or naps, and to move your baby to their usual sleep space as soon as possible. Avoid letting your baby sit slumped with their chin on their chest, which could block their breathing.

With a sling, keep your baby's face in view and don't let the fabric cover their head. It isn't safe to feed your baby while they're in a sling, so take them out first.

## Other things that lower the risk

The NHS also lists breastfeeding if you can, thinking about a dummy to settle your baby to sleep, and keeping up with routine vaccinations. If you breastfeed, US advice is to wait until breastfeeding is well established, based on your baby's doctor's guidance, before trying a dummy (a pacifier in the US). If you don't, it says you can offer one as soon as you like.

## Getting help quickly

Call 999 now in the UK, or 911 in the US, or your local emergency number, if your baby stops breathing, will not wake, is struggling for breath, is stiff, shaking or jerking, goes limp or floppy or is not responding like they normally do, or their lips, tongue, face or skin suddenly turn pale, blue or grey. On black or brown skin, this colour change may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet. Don't drive yourself to A&E. The 999 call handler will tell you what to do.

If you're worried about your baby or think they might be ill, get an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 in the UK, or call your baby's doctor in the US and elsewhere, the same day.

Your midwife or health visitor in the UK, or your baby's doctor in the US, can talk through your sleep set-up. In the UK, The Lullaby Trust has safer sleep information and also supports families affected by SIDS. If your family has lost a baby, its bereavement support helpline is 0808 802 6868.

## When to get help

- **Emergency:** Call 999 now (UK) or 911 (US), or your local emergency number, if your baby stops breathing, will not wake, is struggling for breath, is stiff, shaking or jerking, goes limp or floppy or is not responding like they normally do, or their lips, tongue, face or skin suddenly turn pale, blue or grey (on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet).
- **Same day:** Get an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 today (UK), or call your baby's doctor today (US and elsewhere), if you're worried about your baby or think they might be ill.
- **Book an appointment:** Ask your midwife or health visitor (UK), or your baby's doctor (US and elsewhere), to talk through how you set up your baby's sleep space.

## Where you live

Services and advice differ between countries.

- **UK:** NHS advice is a separate cot or Moses basket in your room for every sleep for at least the first 6 months. NICE asks health professionals to discuss safer practices for bed sharing with parents, and the NHS explains how to co-sleep more safely and when not to. The Lullaby Trust has safer sleep information and supports families affected by SIDS.
- **US:** NICHD's Safe to Sleep campaign and CDC follow the American Academy of Pediatrics 2022 recommendations. Room sharing without bed sharing is described as the safest option, and bed sharing is not recommended. CDC suggests keeping your baby's sleep area in your room, ideally until your baby is at least 6 months old.
- **Elsewhere:** Advice on bed sharing differs between countries. Elsewhere, ask your midwife, health visitor or baby's doctor about the safer sleep advice where you live.

## Sources

1. [Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)](https://www.nhs.uk/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/), NHS
2. [Postnatal care: Recommendations (NG194)](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng194/chapter/Recommendations), NICE
3. [Ways to Reduce Baby's Risk](https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/reduce-risk/reduce), NICHD Safe to Sleep
4. [Safe Sleep Environment for Baby](https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/reduce-risk/safe-sleep-environment), NICHD Safe to Sleep
5. [Providing Care for Babies to Sleep Safely](https://www.cdc.gov/sudden-infant-death/sleep-safely/index.html), CDC

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This guide is general information to help you keep and use your own records. It isn’t medical advice. If you’re worried about a symptom, or something changes suddenly, talk to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.