The safe-sleep checklist every parent should know

Safe sleep is the one part of baby sleep where there’s no “whatever works for your family.” The guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is clear, and it applies to every sleep, day and night, whatever approach you use to help your baby fall asleep.

The good news is that it’s short. Here’s the checklist, plus the common questions that come up once babies start rolling, sitting and standing.

The core checklist

• On their back, every sleep. Naps and nights, at home and away.
• A firm, flat surface. A crib, bassinet or play yard that meets current safety standards, with a mattress that fits snugly.
• A fitted sheet only. Made for that mattress, pulled tight.
• Their own sleep space. Room-share, don’t bed-share. Keep the crib in your room, ideally for at least the first six months.
• Nothing else in the crib. No bumpers, blankets, pillows, positioners or soft toys.
• A sleep sack instead of a blanket. It keeps them warm without anything loose.
• Not too warm. Dress them in about one more layer than you’d be comfortable in, and keep the room cool.

If you do these seven things every time, you’ve covered the essentials.

Pacifiers are fine, and recommended. The AAP suggests offering a pacifier at nap time and bedtime, because it’s linked to a lower risk of SIDS. If you’re breastfeeding, wait until feeding is going well. If it falls out once your baby is asleep, you don’t need to put it back. Never tie or clip a pacifier to your baby, their clothes or the crib.

Products to skip for sleep

Some products are sold for baby sleep but aren’t safe for it. Avoid:

• Inclined sleepers or anything that props baby at an angle.
• Weighted sleep sacks, weighted swaddles or weighted blankets.
• Car seats, swings, bouncers and strollers for routine sleep.
• Sofas, armchairs and adult beds, especially with a sleeping adult.
• In-bed sleepers, nests and loungers.

If your baby falls asleep in the car seat on the way home, that’s okay while you’re driving. Once you’re home, move them to their crib, flat on their back.

When your baby starts rolling

Babies usually start rolling somewhere around 4–6 months. Keep putting them down on their back. If they can roll both ways on their own, you don’t need to flip them back over during the night.

Rolling is also the point to stop swaddling. Once your baby shows signs of trying to roll, move to a sleep sack with their arms free, so they can use their hands to push up and reposition.

Before your baby sits or pulls up

Lower the crib mattress before your baby can sit up, and move it to its lowest setting before they can pull to standing. That keeps them from climbing or tipping over the rail.

Standing in the crib at night is common and usually a new skill they want to practice. Practice getting down during the day. At night, lay them down once, then respond as you normally would. There’s more in standing in the crib.

The room around the crib

Safety isn’t only what’s inside the crib. Take a look around it, too:

1. Keep the white noise machine, night light and any cords well out of reach of the crib.
2. Move the crib away from windows, blinds, curtains and shelves.
3. Anchor furniture like dressers to the wall.
4. Check the crib regularly for loose screws or broken parts.

For making the room darker, calmer and more sleep-friendly, see how to set up your baby’s room for better sleep.

Safe sleep during sleep teaching

Whatever approach you choose to help your baby fall asleep, the safe-sleep rules stay the same. That means no bringing a comfort blanket or lovey into the crib to ease the transition, and no switching to a swing or car seat when a night gets hard.

It also means responding to your baby’s real needs. If they seem unwell, pause the plan and comfort them however they need. Call your pediatrician for a fever, vomiting or anything that worries you, and straight away for any fever in a baby under 3 months. Call your local emergency number if your baby has trouble breathing, has blue or gray lips or skin, is floppy or very hard to wake, or has a seizure.

This checklist summarizes general AAP guidance and isn’t medical advice. If your baby was born early, has a medical condition, or your pediatrician has given you specific instructions, follow their advice.

If you want a plan for tonight

Seven Nights is a gentle seven-night plan for babies 4–12 months that follows AAP safe-sleep guidance from the first night. It helps you set up the room, build a calm routine and teach your baby to fall asleep in the crib, one step at a time.