Table of Contents
How to Prevent SIDS: Safe Sleep Guidelines Every Parent Should Follow
- 🛏️ Safe sleep positioning and environment are the most effective ways to reduce SIDS risk.
- 🚭 Smoke exposure, overheating, and loose bedding significantly increase danger during sleep.
- 👶 Every sleep counts — naps, nighttime, home, or away.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) refers to the unexplained death of an infant under one year of age, most often occurring during sleep. The highest risk window is between two and four months, although safe sleep practices matter throughout the first year.
SIDS rates have declined significantly over the past decades due to education, research, and widespread adoption of safer sleep habits. Parents today have access to clear, evidence-based steps that meaningfully reduce risk.
How to Prevent SIDS
Small, consistent choices around sleep position, environment, and exposure can dramatically reduce the risk of SIDS. The guidance below reflects widely accepted pediatric and public-health recommendations.
Do Not Smoke
Exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke before or after birth significantly increases SIDS risk. This includes smoke residue on clothing, hair, and furniture.
If quitting is a challenge, strict separation matters. Smoke outdoors only, wash hands thoroughly, change clothing, and avoid holding the baby until exposure risk is removed.
Breastfeed When Possible
Breastfeeding is associated with a lower incidence of SIDS. Even partial or short-term breastfeeding provides protective benefits.
That said, parental well-being matters. Feeding decisions should support both infant safety and family stability.
Always Place Baby on Their Back to Sleep
Back sleeping is one of the most impactful protective factors against SIDS. Babies should be placed on their backs for every sleep — night and naps.
Healthy infants will not choke while sleeping on their backs. Supervised tummy time while awake remains essential for development.
Avoid Loose Bedding and Soft Items
Loose blankets, pillows, and soft objects restrict airflow. A wearable sleep sack provides warmth without covering the face.
If blankets are used, they must remain thin, breathable, and securely tucked below the chest with the baby positioned feet-to-crib-end.
Never Use Crib Bumper Pads
Bumper pads restrict airflow and increase suffocation risk. They should never be used for infants under one year.
The crib should contain only the baby — no stuffed animals, pillows, or loose items.
Room-Share Without Bed-Sharing
Sharing a room while using a separate sleep surface reduces SIDS risk. A bassinet or crib placed near the parents’ bed offers proximity without hazards.
If you are exploring shared sleep arrangements, review guidance on how to safely co-sleep.
Every Sleep Counts — Not Just Nighttime
SIDS can occur during naps, travel, or visits with family. Unsafe surfaces such as couches, adult beds, or pillow-filled spaces increase risk.
If a crib or bassinet is unavailable, a firm, flat surface in a safe room is preferable to elevated or soft alternatives.
Avoid Overheating
Overheating has a strong association with SIDS. Dress babies in one light layer more than an adult would wear in the same environment.
Skip hats indoors and ensure good airflow. A fan improves ventilation without directly blowing on the baby.
Use a Firm, Properly Fitted Mattress
The sleep surface must be firm, flat, and snug within the crib frame. Gaps or sagging surfaces increase entrapment risk.
Consider Pacifier Use
Pacifier use during sleep is associated with reduced SIDS risk, particularly in the first six months. If the pacifier falls out, there is no need to replace it.
Avoid Prolonged Sleeping in Car Seats and Swings
Car seats and swings do not support safe sleep positioning outside of transportation. Extended sleep in these devices increases risk.
Flat Sleep Surfaces Are Best
Pediatric and therapy professionals consistently recommend flat positioning for sleep. Inclined devices should not replace approved sleep spaces.
SIDS is a concern shared by all caregivers, but it is not random or unavoidable. Safe sleep practices consistently reduce risk and save lives.
When researching this topic, the following resources were consulted:
SIDS Canada Public Health Agency of Canada
Have Questions or Additional Insights?
If you have experience, questions, or tips that may help other parents, sharing them can make a real difference.
Thank you for tackling this tough topic. Some great advice. The smoke one was especially tricky for us to avoid because my husband’s family smokes. So we didn’t visit them a lot until the kids were older. And I simply walked away when they lit up. (Most but not all of them were considerate enough not to smoke around the baby.)
According to my research, safe bedsharing and breastfeeding (do not share if you are not breastfeeding) is the biggest preventative. I’m mobile right now so it is a pain to look up and link but I have several great articles pinned about bedsharing and SIDS.
Bumper pads – why do they even SELL these things still?!
This a list full of great advice.
Great informational article! Thank you for sharing!!
great article! SIDS has always completely freaked me out! I did not get a wink of sleep when my children were infants. Now I am expecting again, so thank you for the refresher course!
I didn’t have a car seat that fit on my stroller so my babies were always lying flat when they were in their asleep. There are lots of things you can to minimize risk. Great tips!
I love your diagram! Very helpful info and hopefully it will help educate new parents!
I think you got it all! We followed all of these with my 3 kids.
I did all . . . except the back to bed. My babies would not sleep. We tried! I would get them to sleep, put them down and 15 minutes later, they were awake. My babies were all a little colicky. I thought I was going to go crazy. (They also would not take pacifiers–or bottles.) So after prayer and talking between my husband and I, we put them on their tummies. Without anything in their bed or a bumper pad. Praise the Lord, all 5 are okay and well, and I am sane!
I never let my girls sleep in the bed with me. I have a friend who actually suffocated her own baby when he was 23 days old “co sleeping” – it was the most painful thing I have ever seen anyone go through. My heart still breaks for her and it was years ago. She will never be the same. It’s not worth the risk.
This is such an important post and parents do need to know what they can do to help. Thank you so much for such an informative post, I’ve shared it in the hopes of helping others.
This is a very helpful and informative article!
Can you believe the things that were recommended to parents years ago? Now we know. This is really important information. Thanks for posting it.
How dare you? “Now we know???” SIDS is NOT preventable. You can follow EVERY single one of these recommendations to the letter and still lose your child. These measures lower the risk and should be taken seriously by all parents but researchers are working tirelessly to find a cure, screening, or actual preventative measure for SIDS. If it was as easy as “don’t suffocate your baby with blankets and pillows” then why on earth would they still be researching. Get educated http://www.seattlechildrens.org/about/stories/listening-to-a-hunch/
And now I’m back-peddling….I apologize, I thought your comment read “Can you believe these things were recommended to parents years ago? Now we know.” But my point still stands.
Helps to read entirely before you hound someone and dare them…Kelly was merely saying some of the suggestions for babies have changed over the years…
Great tips!!! I didn’t know about the Feet to foot one. I am glad they are continuing research on this. I hope it saves many babies 🙂
Bumper pads? Yeah, they came with every set I ever bought. … One thing our Pediatrician mentioned was a light fan for air circulation and that was also a factor in some SIDS deaths. Great list. It is such a tragic thing to befall a family.
Honestly I thought SIDS could nto be prevented since they do not know what causes it…
Exactly. I’ve lost a baby to SIDS and this infuriates me. There was no way to keep her from dying it it wouldn’t be SIDS it would be suffocation etc.
My understanding is that SIDS is a syndrome- which is what the last S stands for. Safe sleep is vital but as far as I know SIDS can not be prevented. I am sorry for you loss and hope that you can fine peace
Thanks for the tips. I’ll keep these in mind when I decide to have children. Sharing with friends :).
Great tips! I was always so afraid of SIDS I followed all of the advice. My kids are 10 and 6 now and I still am kind of crazy about what goes on their beds at night.
I was scared to death of having one of my kids die from SIDS because it happened to my aunt. I didn’t follow the rules, but I hardly ever slept. When my babies did sleep I was like a hawk watching them. I didn’t relax until all of my kids were 2 years old.
Some of those rules are just impossible to keep if you want any relief, and I think that they really have no solid clue as to what causes it except the possibility of suffocation. Of course, parents can use common sense to prevent that and not follow these rules.
I find it interesting that a lot of the SIDS prevention recommendations include removing suffocation hazards, such as bumpers and stuffed animals, and keeping babies from sleeping in carseats, which can restrict their airways. Obviously, these are hazards that people need to be made aware of, but suffocation is not the same thing as SIDS.
This is such a tough topic. Thank you for the list, the can help so many new moms.
Great advice. I’m so glad my kids are past this age and I don’t have to worry about it anymore.
That time in a parents life can be quite stressful, especially w/concerns about SIDS. This is a great resource for new parents.
This is a great list! I have a 4 month old so it’s something I worry about daily.
I disagree with babies on their back not choking if they spit up. My nephew has reflux so he spits up OFTEN and will choke and aspirate it if laid on his back. I care for him frequently while my sister is at work and will not lay him on his back after scary experiences. I have four of my own that didn’t spit up much and were fine on their backs, but every baby is different.
You can not “prevent” SIDS. These are ways to lower the risk but SIDS is not preventable…yet. Please clarify that for those who are unaware and for those of us who followed every single recommendation to the letter and still lost our precious angels. It’s important for people to the difference and the need for ongoing research.
That is a good point, that there is no known cause or cure for SIDS. My heart goes out to you and your family (and all the families who have lost precious Angels who are not forgotten). You’re in my prayers!
I agree. After losing my daughter at 26 weeks pregnant, I’ve connected with several women that lost their baby to SIDS and they did EVERYTHING right! Research seems to indicate that something in the brain doesn’t trigger the baby to wake from sleep. So heartbreaking and something that’s not detectable. I’m so sorry for your loss. I know the pain.
1) Research entitled :”Trends in Infant Bedding Use: National Infant Sleep Position Study, 1993-2010″ show increasing use of soft bedding but no increase of incident of SIDs.
Instead of of saying no to everything on the cot, i believe the community should provide guideline to how to chose and use the soft bedding correctly. (regulation and guidelines). saying nothing on the cot is equal to saying “Car accident kill hundred of ppl and everyone should stop driving – only walking”
2) Evident of safe sleep: “Speaking our on safe sleep: evidence-based infant sleep recommendations”
ABSTRACT Abstract The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued recommendations in 2005 and 2011 to reduce sleep-related infant death, which advise against all bedsharing for sleep. These recommendations overemphasize the risks of bedsharing, and this overemphasis has serious unintended consequences. It may result in increased deaths on sofas as tired parents try to avoid feeding their infants in bed. Current evidence shows that other risks are far more potent, such as smoking, shared sleep on sofas, sleeping next to impaired caregivers, and formula feeding. The emphasis on separate sleep is diverting resources away from addressing these critical risk factors. Recommendations to avoid bedsharing may also interfere with breastfeeding. We examine both the evidence behind the AAP recommendations and the evidence omitted from those recommendations. We conclude that the only evidence-based universal advice to date is that sofas are hazardous places for adults to sleep with infants; that exposure to smoke, both prenatal and postnatal, increases the risk of death; and that sleeping next to an impaired caregiver increases the risk of death. No sleep environment is completely safe. Public health efforts must address the reality that tired parents must feed their infants at night somewhere and that sofas are highly risky places for parents to fall asleep with their infants, especially if parents are smokers or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. All messaging must be crafted and reevaluated to avoid unintended negative consequences, including impact on breastfeeding rates, or falling asleep in more dangerous situations than parental beds. We must realign our resources to focus on the greater risk factors, and that may include greater investment in smoking cessation and doing away with aggressive formula marketing. This includes eliminating conflicts of interest between formula marketing companies and organizations dedicated to the health of children.
Speaking Out on Safe Sleep: Evidence-Based Infant Sleep Recommendations. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265343432_Speaking_Out_on_Safe_Sleep_Evidence-Based_Infant_Sleep_Recommendations [accessed May 24, 2015].
I would like to point out that all of the tips in this posture recommended by experts because they are thought to reduce the risk of SIDS. It is rather irresponsible to state that this is how to prevent. Since SIDS is not the same as suffocation, it is currently not known what the cause of SIDS is, and is therefore not preventable. No matter how much common sense one has as suggested by other commenters.
Thank you for this comment. I was going to say the exact same thing. This article should be titled, “How to reduce the risk of SIDS” rather than “How to prevent SIDS.” SIDS can still happen even when every one of these things is followed. It is misleading and I daresay arrogant to believe that one can “prevent” SIDS.
That said, this article has some great information and every parent needs to know this stuff.
May I respectfully suggest that you rephrase the title. One cannot prevent SIDS. IT is an after the fact diagnosis. If I may suggest prevention of suffocation or lowering the risk to suffocation. Using SIDS Prevention suggests parents can choose to prevent a true SIDS event.
This is all really great advice i am expecting my first baby in october, i am so confused there is so much info out there its hard to decide what is right and what is wrong. Im jist a little confused about the part where you talk about not having the baby in the carseat while in the stroller, i get what your saying but so far every stroller i have looked at says its for infants 6months and older unless in a car seat. Should i just not use a stroller until my baby is 6 months old?
My son died of USIDS aka SIDS when he was 7 months he asleep on his back for a nap it was not the middle of night it was around 10:20am when I check on his he died in less then 10 mins and I did everything they tell u too so even if u do it all there still a risk because with unexpected sudden infant death they have no idea what causes it or why it happens they only have an guess or and idea it may have to to with the Brian wave link between the heart n lungs that tell us to breath n r heart to pump but that’s just a guess I hope they soon find out what’s causes it. RIP MY SWEET BOY Devin Cole 3/27/2009 – 10/20/2009
Please look into the Toxic Gas Theory as it pertains to mattress. I have done a lot of research into this and the statistics are staggering. and the the fix is so simple and cheap with a simple mattress cover.
The only thing that kept me sane during my daughter’s early years was an under mattress sensor on our monitor. If she stopped breathing for more than so many seconds an alarm would sound both on the monitor and the station in her room.
There were probably many false alarms when she had wriggled down or up the mattress too far but possibly there were occasions when the shock of the alarm or me dashing into the room to check on her jolted her back to breathing again.
I confess it took me until she was almost three to wean myself off the security of that monitor but it was the best £60 I ever spent which was spent after her very first night after birth which I spent constantly checking she was still alive, once I had the monitor on the second night I could easily tell she was okay.
I could recommend highly enough.
SIDS is sudden infant death syndrome without a known cause. All these things would be a known cause and just be infant death due to..etc.. My mom had 9 kids and made all her babies sleep on their sides.
I will say I have to disagree in regards to the swing/carseat thing. You stated previously that mental health is key and if these are the only way your baby sleeps especially if they have reflux I personally dont see anything wrong with that. My son had to sleep at an incline and outgrew his rock n play in just a few shortweeks. It was the only place he would sleep.
This is so sad and scary. It’s good for parents to minimize the risk as much as possible; but, apparently, nothing can prevent it 100%. There is always a risk. It is not caused by poor parenting. My heart goes out to all parents who have lost their babies to SIDS.
It is heartbreaking. So many amazing parents that still suffer loss.
I see that others have addressed this, but my concern is that by saying that SIDS is preventable you are leaving the weight of the loss of a child firmly on the parents’ back. Yes, there are things to lower risks, but please don’t leave parents feeling like it was their fault that their baby died because they did or didn’t do some of these things.
That is a good point. Thanks for your comment
Thank you for this helpful article. Another very important thing to prevent SIDS is a Harlow’s Earth Crib Mattress Cover that prevents toxic mattress off-gassing from reaching the baby. Mattresses are covered in many known toxins, including fire retardants, PVC and polyurethane foam. Protect your little one with a Harlow’s Earth Crib Mattress Cover.