Rhode Island Department of HealthState of Rhode Island
Department of Health
Rhode Island Department of HealthState of Rhode Island
Department of Health
Safe Sleep v4
New Safe Sleep Recommendations to Protect Against SIDS video
Safe Sleep for Infants
As a parent or caregiver, you can take steps to create a safe sleep environment for your baby. When you put your baby "safe to sleep" for every sleep, you reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other causes of sleep-related infant death. The steps below help protect your baby in a variety of ways. Some make your baby less likely to suffocate accidentally during sleep. Others help your baby avoid infections or wake up more easily from sleep. In addition to preventing sudden death, most of these steps have extra health benefits for babies and their caregivers.
We were new parents and didn’t know what to expect. We had heard that the newborn stage can be challenging. We followed the “share a room, not a bed” guidance, keeping Ellie in her bassinet in our room for the first few months. When we transitioned her to a crib in her room, everyone’s sleeping improved dramatically. We did the best we could as first-time parents, and we were lucky to have the support of family and friends. Ellie is three now and thriving and sassy as ever. -Sidra, parent
My child A'Kirah is now 4 years old, but when she was a baby I did my best to practice safe sleep. It wasn’t always easy; A'Kirah was colicky and we struggled with getting her to fall asleep and stay asleep without being held. I struggled with trying not to co-sleep. Our pediatrician suggested we swaddle her with a safe sleep swaddler. I found that using the safe sleep swaddler and putting her on her back, in her crib, and without any blankets worked! Not only was she finally able to fall asleep without being held, she slept safely for longer periods of time. - Tiffaine, parent
Jack had acid reflux as a baby and was up at night very often and always wanted to be held. I knew the importance of safe sleep, and knew I needed to stay awake when I was up with him in the middle of the night. So, I developed strategies to stay awake. This included texting with my mom friends in the middle of the night while I was breastfeeding, and leaning on my husband, who was always willing to do middle of the night diaper changes. I also caught up on my favorite shows and social media feed while breastfeeding at night. We did not bed share and always placed Jack to sleep on his back. - Ashley, parent
My child Aiden is now 3 years old. When he was born, he spent 59 days in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU). The hospital taught us all the best sleep practices. We were so nervous to have him home, but we did our best to practice safe sleep. It wasn’t easy, but we always put him to sleep on his back and in his crib, and a great baby monitor helped us keep an eye on him while he slept. Aiden had reflux, and sometimes it was difficult for him to sleep, so we kept in touch with our pediatrician to make sure whatever we were doing aligned with Aiden sleeping safely. It was sometimes emotionally draining, but now Aiden has great sleep habits, which is helpful now that he has a little sister. - Laura, South Kingstown