Reviewed by The Mom Store editorial team, October 2026. See our editorial policy.
A safe sleep space for a baby is simple: on the back, on a firm flat mattress with only a fitted sheet, in a cot or bassinet of their own, in your room. Nothing else goes in with them. These steps lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and of suffocation, and they apply to every sleep, day and night. The details below follow the AAP's parent's guide to safe sleep unless another source is named.
Alone, on the back, in a cot
Many paediatricians sum it up as the ABCs.
Alone. Your baby sleeps on their own surface, not in your bed, with a sibling or on a sofa. The AAP advises against bed sharing in all circumstances, including twins. The risk is higher still if a parent smokes, has been drinking, has taken medicine that causes drowsiness, or if the baby is under 4 months, small or premature.
Back. Place your baby on their back for every nap and every night. Side sleeping is as risky as tummy sleeping. Once your baby can roll both ways on their own, you do not need to keep turning them back, but the cot must stay clear.
Cot. A cot, crib or bassinet with a firm, flat mattress that does not dip under your baby's weight, covered by a fitted sheet and nothing more. A surface tilted more than 10 degrees is not safe for sleep.
Setting up the cot
Keep out pillows, quilts, razais, loose sheets, mattress toppers, soft toys and bumpers, however cosy they look. Nests, pillows sold for propping a baby up and anything weighted, such as weighted blankets or swaddles, also stay out.
The sheet should fit the mattress tightly, so check the size before you buy.
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To keep your baby warm without a blanket, use layers of clothing or a wearable blanket (a sleeping bag). It cannot ride up over the face the way a loose sheet can.
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Share the room, not the bed
The AAP recommends keeping your baby's cot or bassinet in your room, close to your bed, for at least the first six months. It makes night feeds easier and lowers the risk of SIDS. If you feed or cuddle your baby in your bed, put them back in their own space before you fall asleep. Falling asleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair is especially dangerous, so if you feel drowsy while feeding, put your baby back in the cot.
If your baby dozes off in a car seat, pram, swing or carrier, move them onto their back on a flat sleep surface as soon as you can.
Not too hot
Overheating raises the risk of SIDS. The Lullaby Trust's advice on room temperature for babies gives 16 to 20°C as the ideal. Much of India is warmer than that for most of the year, so what matters more is how your baby feels:
Feel your baby's chest or the back of the neck. If the skin is hot or sweaty, take a layer off. Cool hands and feet are normal.
Dress your baby in about one layer more than you would wear to be comfortable in that room, which on a hot night may be a single light cotton layer.
No caps indoors. Babies lose heat through their heads.
On hot nights, use lighter clothing, and a fan to cool the room, pointed away from your baby.
Other things that lower the risk
Breastfeeding lowers the risk of SIDS, and the protection grows the longer you breastfeed.
A pacifier at naps and bedtime may help, even if it falls out once your baby is asleep. If you are breastfeeding, wait until feeding is well established first. Never tie a pacifier to your baby's clothes or neck.
Keep your home and car smoke free, and do not smoke or vape near your baby, even outdoors.
Keep up with your baby's vaccinations.
Swaddling does not lower the risk of SIDS. If you swaddle, always place your baby on the back, keep it loose at the hips, and stop once your baby shows signs of trying to roll, usually around 3 to 4 months.
Be wary of products that claim to prevent SIDS. The AAP says home breathing monitors should not be used for this, as there is no evidence they work, and they can give false reassurance. A clear cot and the steps above do more.
During the day, give plenty of supervised tummy time while your baby is awake. It helps with development and with preventing a flat patch on the back of the head.
When your baby is unwell
A baby with a fever can feel warmer than usual. The Lullaby Trust advises against wrapping an unwell baby in more layers than normal. If your baby seems significantly unwell, or you are worried, contact your paediatrician straight away rather than waiting to see how the night goes.
This article is general information and does not replace advice from your doctor.
