Safe Sleep for Babies: How to Set Up Every Nap and Night

The AAP and Safe to Sleep basics for partners: back to sleep, a bare, firm, flat surface, room-sharing without bed-sharing, and the risks to avoid at 3 a.m.

Dad's Doula · Last reviewed October 24, 2026 · 6 min read

Every year, around 3,500 babies in the United States die suddenly and unexpectedly while sleeping, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Most of these deaths are from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or accidental suffocation or strangulation. The AAP notes that SIDS cannot be fully prevented, but a safe sleep environment helps reduce the risk, and unintentional suffocation and strangulation in bed can be prevented.

Partners often handle the late-night put-downs, set up the nursery and brief the grandparents, so these rules belong to you as much as anyone. This guide summarizes the AAP's 2022 recommendations, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports, along with the National Institutes of Health's Safe to Sleep campaign. Unless noted, they apply to babies up to 1 year old. It is general information, not medical advice: talk with your pediatrician about your own baby, especially if they were born early or have health conditions, and if a baby is ever not breathing or unresponsive, call 911.

Back to sleep, for every sleep

Place your baby on their back for naps and at night. The Safe to Sleep campaign says this applies to all babies, including those born preterm and those with reflux, until they are 1 year old. Side sleeping is not safe; the AAP says the side position is just as dangerous as the stomach, partly because babies can roll onto their stomachs from their sides.

A common worry is choking. The AAP explains that babies will not choke on their backs, because their airway anatomy and gag reflex prevent it. Consistency matters, too: Safe to Sleep warns that if a baby usually sleeps on their back, putting them on their stomach or side, even for a nap, increases the risk of SIDS by up to 45 times. Make sure every caregiver uses the back position every time.

Once your baby can roll both ways on their own, you can leave them in the position they choose after placing them on their back.

A firm, flat, level surface with only a fitted sheet

Safe to Sleep describes a safe sleep surface as firm (it springs back quickly when pressed), flat (like a table, not a hammock), level (not inclined) and covered only by a fitted sheet. The AAP says any surface that inclines more than 10 degrees is not safe for sleep.

Use a crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard that meets Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards, and check the CPSC website for recalls, especially if it is not new.
Make sure the mattress is made for that crib and fits tightly.
Do not use a crib that is broken, missing hardware or without instructions.
Couches, armchairs, waterbeds, memory foam and pillow-top mattresses are not safe sleep surfaces.

If your baby falls asleep in a car seat, stroller, swing or carrier, move them to a firm, flat sleep surface on their back as soon as you can. In an emergency, the AAP says a box, basket or drawer with thin, firm padding can work temporarily until you can get a safe sleep surface.

Keep the sleep space empty

Safe to Sleep advises removing everything from the sleep area except the fitted sheet. That means no pillows, stuffed toys, crib bumpers, comforters, quilts, blankets, positioners, loveys or tucked-in blankets, and nothing weighted, such as weighted blankets or swaddles. To keep your baby warm, use a wearable blanket or an extra layer of clothing instead of loose bedding.

Share a room, not a bed

The AAP recommends that babies sleep in the same room as their parents, close to the parents' bed but in their own sleep space, for at least the first 6 months. The AAP says room sharing can decrease the risk of SIDS by as much as 50% and is much safer than bed sharing, which it recommends avoiding under any circumstances.

If you bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort them, Safe to Sleep advises clearing soft items and bedding from your side first, then returning your baby to their own space. If you fall asleep, move your baby back as soon as you wake up.

Couches and armchairs deserve special mention for exhausted partners doing a night shift. The AAP says the risk of sleep-related infant death is up to 67 times higher when babies sleep with someone on a couch, soft armchair or cushion. If you feel yourself nodding off while holding the baby, put them down in their crib or bassinet or hand them off.

Some situations raise the risk of shared sleep even further. According to the AAP and Safe to Sleep, these include an adult who is very tired, has been drinking, has used marijuana or other drugs, or has taken medication that causes drowsiness; an adult who smokes or vapes; a baby younger than 4 months; a baby born preterm or at low birth weight; and a caregiver other than a parent.

Temperature, pacifiers and smoke

Overheating raises the risk of SIDS. The AAP suggests dressing your baby in only one more layer than you would wear, and watching for sweating, flushed skin or a hot chest. Once you are home from the hospital, do not put a hat on your baby indoors, and keep their head and face uncovered during sleep.

Offering a pacifier at naps and bedtime helps reduce SIDS risk, even if it falls out after your baby is asleep. If your baby is breastfed, wait until breastfeeding is well established. Never hang a pacifier around your baby's neck or attach it to clothing, and do not coat it with anything. It is fine if your baby doesn't want one.

Keep your baby's home and car smoke- and vape-free. Safe to Sleep notes that secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS, and that anyone caring for the baby should be drug- and alcohol-free.

Swaddling, monitors and "safe sleep" products

The AAP says you can swaddle your baby if you like, but swaddling does not reduce the risk of SIDS. If you swaddle, always place your baby on their back, keep the swaddle loose enough for breathing and hip movement, and stop as soon as your baby looks like they are trying to roll. The AAP says rolling usually happens around 3 to 4 months but can happen earlier.

Safe to Sleep says heart, breathing and motion monitors are not effective at detecting or preventing SIDS. The AAP adds that consumer wellness devices do not have to meet the same requirements as medical devices, and they should never be a substitute for following safe sleep guidance. Safe to Sleep also warns that many wedges, positioners and inclined sleepers do not meet federal sleep-safety guidelines and are linked to injury and death. Be wary of any product that claims to prevent SIDS; Safe to Sleep says plainly that no product can.

Tummy time and other caregivers

Give your baby supervised tummy time every day while they are awake. The AAP suggests starting with short sessions soon after you get home and building up to at least 15 to 30 minutes a day by about 7 weeks of age.

Finally, share these rules with everyone who cares for your baby: grandparents, babysitters, child care providers and older siblings. A printed list near the crib can help. If you have questions about your baby's sleep space, ask your pediatrician.

Key takeaways

Back to sleep for every nap and every night, until age 1.
Use a firm, flat, level surface that meets CPSC standards, with only a fitted sheet.
Room-share, close by but not in your bed, for at least the first 6 months.
Never sleep with your baby on a couch or armchair.
Skip loose bedding, bumpers, weighted products, incline sleepers and SIDS-prevention claims.
Avoid overheating, offer a pacifier, and keep your baby's world smoke-free.

Sources

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