Set up a safer sleep space

Use an appropriate infant sleep space with a firm, flat, level mattress and the correctly fitted sheet. Keep pillows, loose bedding, toys, positioners and weighted sleep products out. An appealing product photo is not evidence that a setup is safe.

Place baby on their back for every sleep. Show each caregiver the actual sleep space, rather than assuming everyone has the same understanding. Check the product’s assembly instructions, limits and recall status.

A car seat, swing or stroller is not a regular sleep space. If baby falls asleep in one, move them to their appropriate sleep space as soon as possible.

Decide who can take over if a caregiver is getting sleepy. Avoid falling asleep holding baby on a couch or armchair. Keep the plan somewhere easy to find at night.

Ask each caregiver to show the actual place baby will sleep. Check assembly, the mattress supplied or specified for the product, a fitted sheet and the absence of loose items. An old family crib or a product marketed as cozy still needs to meet current safety requirements. Repeat the check when visiting or using childcare.

A toy, cushion or nursing pillow may have another purpose, but that does not make it appropriate in the infant sleep space. If someone suggests adding an item to improve sleep, check the guidance before using it. A monitor cannot make an unsafe setup safe.

Choose who can take over if an adult is nodding off. Put supplies where they can be reached without taking baby into a risky sleep situation. If a planned handoff is unavailable, use the safe infant sleep space while arranging help. Review the setup and plan together in daylight, when it is easier to notice problems.