Establish safe sleep habits
Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:
Establish safe sleep habits
Why is this important to you and your child?
It helps with your child's physical development
Establishing a safe sleep routine with your child will help your child to grow and develop as well as restore strength and energy. Good sleep also improves your child’s behaviour and learning. For children under 12 months safer sleep reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Things you can do
- Always place your baby on their back to sleep
- Keep your baby smoke free during pregnancy and after birth
- Place your baby to sleep in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first 6 months
- Breastfeed your baby, if you can
- Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in good condition
- Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby
- Don’t sleep in the same bed as your baby if you:
- Smoke
- Have drunk alcohol
- Have taken drugs
- Are extremely tired
- Your baby was born prematurely
- Your baby was of low birth-weight
- Avoid letting your baby get too hot
- Don’t cover your baby’s face or head while sleeping or use loose bedding
- To avoid accidents, remove all pillows, soft bedding, cot bumpers and soft toys from the cot – an empty cot is a safe cot
- Be consistent
If you’d like support, talk to
Learn more
- The Sleep Charity - information to support good sleep in children
- The Lullaby Trust
- Lullaby Trust Baby Check App
- Birmingham Safeguarding Children's Partnership ‘Who's in Charge?' campaign, highlighting the dangers of drinking alcohol and sleeping with your baby
- The Lullaby Trust - Publications including reference cards in 24 languages