Safe Sleep

Did you know that the leading cause of injury-related death for infants under the age of one is by suffocation or strangulation in an adult bed? Studies have shown that the risk for infant death by suffocation is up to 40 times greater when placed in an adult bed than in a crib.

While the unknown causes that contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cannot be completely prevented, creating a safe sleep environment can protect your baby from suffocation and strangulation risk and decrease the likelihood of SIDS.

PSA - Safe Sleep

ABCs of Safe Sleep

Safe sleep focuses on three critical areas, which the American Academy of Pediatrics refers to as the ABCs of Safe Sleep. Babies sleep safest Alone, on their Backs, and in Cribs. A safe sleep environment encompasses the following:

Alone: Do not put pillows, blankets, crib bumpers, toys, soft objects or loose bedding in a baby’s sleeping area. It is also critical to ensure strings, like window blind cords, are far out of the baby’s reach.

Backs: In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending that all babies be placed on their backs to sleep. Deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) drastically declined after this recommendation. “Back to sleep” should always be followed unless under direction from your child’s pediatrician.

Cribs: Babies should never sleep in adult beds or on couches and recliners, with or without a caregiver. The Florida Department of Health’s “Child Abuse Death Review Annual Report” found that a staggering 58.8% of infant sleep-related deaths in 2019 took place in an adult bed. Bed sharing is a common practice that can have tragic consequences. While some believe sleeping with their baby creates a special bond, the risk far outweighs the benefits.

Safe Sleep experts recommend keeping the child in the same room, close to the parental bed, in a crib, portable crib, or bassinet for at least the first year of life. Mattresses should be firm, and the only bedding should be a snug fitting sheet.

Beyond the ABCs of Safe Sleep, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other health experts recommend the following to reduce SIDS: breastfeeding, offering baby a pacifier, using portable cribs when traveling, keeping baby’s room cool, not smoking near baby, not letting baby get overheated, and ensuring caretakers follow all safe sleep rules.

Coping With Crying

CRYING...IT’S WHAT BABIES DO! SOME DO IT TOO WELL!

It is normal for babies to cry - sometimes for 3 or more hours a day.

Babies usually cry more often in the evening.

Crying may come and go for no reason.

Crying is not a health problem, unless someone gets angry at the child and hurts him/her.

Crying slows down after 3 or 4 months in most children.

Don’t give up! IT GETS BETTER!

Crying lasts for hours, shaking lasts for a lifetime. Stay calm, get help.

Call 2-1-1 for more information.

Things to check:

Is your baby hungry?
Is your baby in pain?
Does your baby need a diaper change?
Does your baby want to be held?
Is your baby sick?

If none of that seems to be the problem:

Relax - your baby will be okay.
Have someone else watch your baby for a while if it is bothering you too much.
Put your baby down in a safe place and go to the next room. Check on your baby every 10 minutes to see if there is anything you can do; but if not, your baby will be okay.
Exercise.
Listen to music.
Call a friend, relative or 2-1-1.
Call your doctor if you have questions.

Download the Coping with Crying Flyer

Better Sleep For You And Your Baby

Ten Tips to Help you and Your Baby Get a Good Night’s Sleep

As with every new skill your baby learns, falling asleep in a crib may take practice. Your baby may cry when first put in the crib. This is normal and should be expected. There are a lot of things you can do to help your baby settle down for bed and feel more comfortable sleeping in the crib. Every baby is unique, so you may need to try a few times before you figure out exactly what your baby likes best.

Make sure your baby has active play time, such as “tummy time” during the day.
Respond to your baby’s needs quickly during the day to reduce your baby’s stress.
Wear your baby in a sling or allow for skin-to-skin contact during the waking hours.
Keep a journal of when and how much your baby eats and sleeps, and when you change your baby’s diaper. This will help you learn your baby’s patterns so you can plan to rest when your baby sleeps.
Use a bedtime routine of three to four relaxing activities to help your baby wind down (giving your baby a bath, gently massaging baby’s muscles, and then spending a short period of quiet time together). Research has shown that babies who have a bedtime routine fall asleep 30% faster, wake up 50% less often, and sleep for longer stretches of time.
Talk or sing softly to your baby before bed. Just the sound of your voice is very soothing to your baby.
Put your baby in the crib when he or she begins to look tired, but is still awake. Putting babies to bed while they are tired, but still awake, helps them learn to fall asleep on their own.
If your baby seems restless at bed time, put your baby to bed 30 minutes earlier. When babies become overtired, they sometimes become energetic and fight off sleep.
Play soft music, turn on a fan, or put a ticking clock near your baby’s crib. Continuing normal household activities while your baby sleeps helps your baby learn to sleep without silence.
Place a warm towel down on your baby’s crib sheet and remove it just before you place your baby down.

Download the Better Sleep For You and Your Baby Flyer

Understanding Your Baby’s Needs

Why does my baby sleep for only a few hours at a time?
Newborns may sleep 10-18 hours a day, and they may wake to eat every 2 to 4 hours. By eight weeks old, your baby’s sleep may develop some sort of pattern.

When will my baby be able to sleep through the night?
Babies between 3 and 6 months of age need around 12-15 hours of sleep per day, which includes 2 to 4 naps during the day. Babies 6 months old and older are able to sleep through most of the night, but will still need 1 or 2 naps during the day, and many will need at least one nighttime feeding.

Will limiting naps during the day help my baby sleep better at night?
According to sleep research, regular naps during the day will improve your baby’s sleep during the night. When and how long a baby should nap varies from one baby to the next. As babies grow, they will take fewer and shorter naps until they reach 3-4 years of age.

For more information on healthy child development and safe infant sleep, visit www.ounce.org.

Infant Sleep Troubleshooting Guide

Streetlights or early morning sun coming through the window may wake a baby from sleep. Use dark colored shades over windows near your baby’s sleeping area.

A stuffy nose can cause a baby to wake up. Make sure your baby’s nose is clear before bedtime. Help your baby avoid congestion by dusting regularly and removing things that collect dust from the sleeping area. Keep your baby away from smoke, baby powder, hair spray, and paint fumes, which can all cause nasal congestion.

Teething pain can prevent your baby from sleeping. Check for drool stains on your baby’s sheet, drool rashes on your baby’s cheeks or chin, or swollen gums. Your doctor may recommend small doses of acetaminophen.

A wet diaper sometimes causes babies to wake up. Be sure to put your baby to bed with a dry diaper. If you use cloth diapers, consider layering two or three of them for naps and bedtime to reduce the feeling of wetness.

Allergic reactions to fabric, or the detergent or fabric softener used on the baby’s bedding or clothing, may be making your baby uncomfortable. If you see signs of skin irritation or other symptoms, change the bedding and switch laundry products.

For more information on healthy child development and safe infant sleep, visit www.ounce.org.

Developing babies can have restless nights as they are learning how to sit up, roll over, or walk. They can sometimes practice in their sleep! Your baby can get stuck sitting up because he doesn’t know how to lay himself back down yet. This can be fixed by teaching him how. During the day, sit your baby up, help your baby lay back down, and then encourage your baby to practice alone.

If you have tried all suggestions and your baby is still not sleeping well, talk to your baby’s doctor. There may be a medical reason for your baby’s restless nights. Tell your baby’s doctor if your baby:

Is waking up with Colicky abdominal pains
Was a good sleeper but suddenly became a restless sleeper
Has not slept well since he or she was born
Shows any signs of illness
Cries often for no apparent reason and cannot be comforted
Has trouble breathing
Has changes in behavior because of poor sleep

Safe Sleep For You And Your Baby

Helping You Reduce the Risk of SIDS and Suffocation

“The safest place for an infant to sleep alone is in a crib, in the parents’ room, for the first year of life.” The American Academy of Pediatrics

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby less than one year old. This is very scary for parents, but there are simple things you can do to lower the risk of infant death. Some parents believe sleeping with their baby will protect the baby from SIDS, but sleeping with a baby is dangerous and actually raises the risk of infant death.

Important Information

Consider these facts before you decide where your baby will sleep:

Suffocation and strangulation in an adult bed is the leading cause of injury-related death for infants under one year of age in the state of Florida.
The risk of sleeping-related infant death is 40 times higher for babies who sleep in adult beds compared to babies who sleep in their own cribs.

Keep Your Baby Safe During Sleep

To lower the risk of SIDS and suffocation and keep your baby safe while he or she sleeps, it is important to:

Make sure baby’s crib, bassinet, cradle, or portable crib is undamaged and meets current Consumer Products Safety Commission standards. (www.cpsc.gov).

Put baby’s crib, cradle, or bassinet near to parent or caregiver’s bed for the first year of life. Place your baby face up to sleep, sleeping on the stomach or side increases the risk of suffocation. Tell everyone who takes care of baby about how to keep your baby safe during sleep.

Make sure the baby’s mattress is firm and fits snugly in its frame.

Make sure the baby’s sheet fits tightly around the mattress and use only the mattress that comes with the crib.

Keep the baby’s sleeping area away from all loose strings (i.e. blind cords, electrical cords and clothing).

Offer your baby a pacifier (never a bottle) when placing your baby down to sleep. The pacifier should not be put back into the baby’s mouth if it is spit out during sleep. If the baby does not want the pacifier, do not force it and never do anything to hold it in place. If breastfeeding, do not use a pacifier until the baby is one month old.

Respond to your baby’s cries during the night. Keep the room temperature of your baby’s sleeping area comfortable for a lightly clothed adult to keep baby from getting overheated. Always hold the bottle when feeding your baby, since propping a bottle can cause the baby to choke and possibly die.

Hang baby’s mobile out of baby’s reach and remove it once baby learns to sit up.

Lower the baby’s mattress when your baby learns to sit, and again when they learn to stand to prevent baby from falling out of the crib.

It is NOT Safe
to put anything in your baby’s bed, such as sheepskins, stuffed animals, baby positioners, crib wedges, comforters, pillows, heavy blankets or bumper pads.

It is NOT safe
to smoke around your baby or in a room where your baby spends time.

It is NOT safe
to let your baby sleep on an adult bed, air mattress, beanbag, reclining chair, sofa, waterbed, or on any furniture not made for babies.

Download the SAFE SLEEP Brochure

Sleeping With Your Baby is Dangerous

Even if your baby is breastfed and you don’t smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs or other medications sleeping with your baby still increases your baby’s risk of suffocation or strangulation while sleeping.

The only way to protect your baby from higher risk is to have your baby sleep in a crib.

Visit https://www.ounce.org/safe_sleep.aspx for more information and tips on helping babies fall asleep and stay asleep in their own safe space.

Creating A Loving Bond With Your Baby

The bond between parent and child is one of the strongest connections in nature. Whether you’re a biological mom or dad, an adoptive parent or a stepparent, it is important for your child to form a strong bond with you. Luckily, children are already wired to bond with their caregivers.

Bonding Basics

Making your baby feel safe and loved is one of the most important building blocks to bonding with your child. Developing a trusting relationship with your baby is an important first step. Your baby will learn to trust you as you respond to his or her cries.
A daily routine for feeding, naps and bedtime will help your baby learn what to expect from his or her environment, which will also build trust. This brochure provides additional tips that can help you bond with your baby day and night.

What if I don’t feel a strong bond with my baby?

Bonding doesn’t always happen within hours or days. Bonding is delayed in about 30 percent of mothers for a variety of reasons. Maybe your baby, or the birth process, wasn’t what you expected. Maybe you are disappointed, under a lot of stress, or simply exhausted.

Most parents will develop a strong attachment to their babies as they care for their babies’ needs over the first few months. Once parents get to know their babies, and adjust to this new addition, their feelings usually deepen. If you don’t feel that you’re bonding by the time you take your baby to his or her first doctor’s appointment, talk to the doctor about your concerns during the appointment.

Important Information

Consider these facts before you decide where your baby will sleep:

Suffocation and strangulation in an adult bed is the leading cause of injury-related death for infants under one year of age in the state of Florida.
The risk of sleeping-related infant death is 40 times higher for babies who sleep in adult beds compared to babies who sleep in their own cribs.

Keep Your Baby Safe During Sleep

To lower the risk of SIDS and suffocation and keep your baby safe while he or she sleeps, it is important to:

Make sure baby’s crib, bassinet, cradle, or portable crib is undamaged and meets current Consumer Products Safety Commission standards. (www.cpsc.gov).

Make sure the baby’s mattress is firm and fits snugly in its frame.

Make sure the baby’s sheet fits tightly around the mattress and use only the mattress that comes with the crib.

Keep the baby’s sleeping area away from all loose strings (i.e. blind cords, electrical cords and clothing).

DAD TIP:

Since babies are comforted by scents associated with their mothers, dads may find it helpful to use the same lotion or shampoo as mom. Dad’s can also bring a shirt that mom has worn that day with them to feed during the night.

Download the Creating a Loving Bond Brochure

More Tips

Patterns and routine help babies feel secure. Keeping a consistent schedule for feedings, naps and bedtime can help you develop a trusting relationship with your baby.

If breastfeeding, sit in an upright position with your feet firmly planted on the floor. This will make you more alert while breastfeeding and possibly avoid a tragic situation.

Research has shown that babies who have a bed-time routine fall asleep 30% faster, wake up 50% less often, and sleep for longer stretches of time.

Using 3-4 relaxing activities will help your baby wind down and learn that these activities mean it’s time to sleep. Try giving your baby a bath, gently massaging their muscles, and then spending a short period of quiet time together.

“The safest place for an infant to sleep is alone in a crib, in the parents’ room for the first year of life.”
– American Academy of Pediatrics

Keeping your baby’s crib near your own bed for the first year of life will make it easier to respond quickly to your baby’s needs. Responding to your baby’s needs quickly will help you build a trusting relationship.

A father’s touch can be just as calming as a mother’s. Sometimes dad forms a special bond with baby when handling middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes.

Visit www.ounce.org/safe_sleep.html for more information and tips on helping babies fall asleep and stay asleep in their own safe space.

“The safest place for an infant to sleep is alone in a crib, in the parents’ room for the first year of life.”
– American Academy of Pediatrics

Safety Checklist for Parents & Caregivers