Safe Sleep: The ABCs
Safe sleep guidance can be summed up in three letters: babies should sleep **A**lone, on their **B**ack, in a **C**rib. These AAP-backed rules dramatically reduce the risk of SIDS and sleep-related accidents, and they apply to every sleep — naps included.
A — Alone
Baby sleeps in their own space: a crib, bassinet, or portable crib that meets current safety standards.
- The sleep surface stays completely bare: no pillows, blankets, bumpers, stuffed animals, or positioners.
- Room-share, don't bed-share: the AAP recommends baby sleeps in your room, close to your bed but on their own surface, ideally for at least the first 6 months. Room-sharing itself lowers SIDS risk.
- Never sleep with baby on a sofa or armchair — that's the highest-risk surface of all.
B — On the Back
Place baby on their back for every sleep, from day one until their first birthday. Side and tummy positions raise risk. Once your baby can roll both ways on their own, you don't need to reposition them — but keep starting sleep on the back.
C — In a Crib
Use a firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet — nothing soft, inclined, or padded. Swings, car seats, loungers, and inclined sleepers are not safe places for routine sleep; if baby dozes off in one, move them to a flat surface when you can.
Extra protection
- Keep baby smoke-free, and dress them in a sleep sack instead of blankets — comfortable, not hot.
- Offer a pacifier at sleep times once feeding is established; it's associated with lower SIDS risk.
- Breastfeeding and up-to-date immunizations are also protective.
*Always consult your pediatrician for advice specific to your baby.*
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