What Does A Safe Sleep Environment Look Like?

The image below shows a safe infant sleep environment.

Baby’s sleep area is in 

the same room, next to 

where parents sleep.

Use a firm and flat sleep 

surface, such as a mattress 

in a safety-approved crib*, 

covered by a fitted sheet.

Baby should not sleep in 

an adult bed, on a couch, 

or on a chair alone, with 

you, or with anyone else.

Do not smoke or let 

anyone else smoke 

around your baby.

Do not put pillows, blankets, sheepskins, 

or crib bumpers anywhere in your

baby’s sleep area.

Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding 

out of your baby’s sleep area. Make 

sure nothing covers the baby’s head.

Dress your baby in sleep 

clothing, such as a wearable 

blanket. Do not use a loose 

blanket, and do not overbundle.

Always place your baby on 

his or her back to sleep, for 

naps and at night.

 * A crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard that follows the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission 

(CPSC) is recommended. For information on crib safety, contact the CPSC at 1-800-638-2772 or http://www.cpsc.gov.
Safe Sleep For Your Baby

Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and 

Other Sleep-Related Causes of Infant Death

Always place baby on his or her back to 

sleep, for naps and at night, to reduce the 

risk of SIDS.

Use a firm and flat sleep surface, such 

as a mattress in a safety-approved crib*, 

covered by a fitted sheet with no other 

bedding or soft items in the sleep area.

Share your room with baby. Keep baby in 

your room close to your bed, but on a 

separate surface designed for infants, 

ideally for baby’s first year, but at least for 

the first 6 months.

Do not put soft objects, toys, crib bumpers, 

or loose bedding under baby, over baby, or 

anywhere in baby’s sleep area.

To reduce the risk of SIDS, women should:

Get regular prenatal care 

during pregnancy.

Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, 

and using marijuana or illegal 

drugs during pregnancy or after 

the baby is born.

 Do not smoke during pregnancy, and do 

not smoke or allow smoking around your 

baby or in your baby’s environment.

Think about giving your baby a pacifier for 

naps and nighttime sleep to reduce the risk 

of SIDS.

Do not let your baby get too hot 

during sleep.

Follow guidance from your health care 

provider on your baby’s vaccines and 

regular health checkups.

Avoid products that go against safe 

sleep recommendations, especially 

those that claim to prevent or reduce 

the risk for SIDS.

Do not use heart or breathing monitors 

in the home to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Give your baby plenty of tummy time 

when he or she is awake and someone 

is watching.

Breastfeed your baby to reduce the risk of 

SIDS. Breastfeeding has many health benefits 

for mother and baby. If you fall asleep while 

feeding or comforting baby in an adult bed, 

place him or her back in a separate sleep area 

as soon as you wake up.

* A crib, bassinet, portable crib, or play yard that follows the safety

standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is

recommended. For information on crib safety, contact the CPSC at

1-800-638-2772 or http://www.cpsc.gov.

For more information about the Safe to Sleep® campaign, contact us: 

Phone: 1-800-505-CRIB (2742) | Fax: 1-866-760-5947

Email: SafetoSleep@mail.nih.gov

Website: http://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov

Mail: 31 Center Drive, 31/2A32, Bethesda, MD 20892-2425

Federal Relay Service: Dial 7-1-1 

Safe to Sleep® is a registered trademark of the 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH Pub. No. 18-HD-5759 | April 2018