The most common concern we hear is the understandable but unfounded fear that babies will spit up and choke while on their backs. Fortunately, several reassuring studies, as well as the test of time, have demonstrated that healthy babies put to sleep on their backs are not only able to turn their heads and/or protect their airways if they spit up, but are no more likely to have breathing or digestive-related problems than their belly-sleeping counterparts of years past.

Elevating the head of your baby’s crib has been shown not to help with reflux. Instead, try holding your baby upright for 20-30 minutes after feeds. Elevating the head of the crib can cause babies to roll into an unsafe sleep position.

Do not rely on home heart or breathing monitors to reduce the risk of SIDS. If you have questions about using these monitors for other health conditions, talk with your pediatrician.

Not all cases of SIDS can be prevented but you can drastically reduce your baby’s risk of SIDS by following the safe sleep recommendations.

If your baby falls asleep in a car seat, stroller, swing, infant carrier, or sling, you should move him or her to a firm sleep surface on his or her back as soon as it is practical.

Only bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort. Place your baby back in his or her own sleep space when you are ready to go to sleep. If there is any possibility that you might fall asleep, make sure there are no pillows, sheets, blankets, or any other items that could cover your baby’s face, head, and neck, or overheat your baby. As soon as you wake up, be sure to move the baby to his or her own bed. Bed-sharing is not recommended for any babies.

Make sure that the baby is always on his or her back when swaddled. The swaddle should not be too tight or make it hard for the baby to breathe or move his or her hips. At 8 weeks of age or when your baby looks like he or she is trying to roll over, you should stop swaddling.

This helps reduce the risk of SIDS, even if it falls out after the baby is asleep. If you are breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is going well before offering a pacifier. This usually takes 2-3 weeks. If you are not breastfeeding your baby, you can start the pacifier whenever you like. It’s OK if your baby doesn’t want a pacifier.  You can try offering again later, but some babies simply don’t like them. If the pacifier falls out after your
baby falls asleep, you don’t have to put it back in.

When it comes to your baby’s health and safety, only rely on information backed by evidence-based medicine.
Sites you can trust are www.healthychildren.org www.charlieskids.org www.cribsforkids.org and
www.inwsids.org.

Babies do not have regular sleep cycles until about 6 months of age. While newborns sleep about 16 to 17 hours per day, they may only sleep 1 or 2 hours at a time. As babies get older, they need less sleep. However, different babies have different sleep needs. It is normal for a 6-month-old to wake up during the night but go back to sleep after a few minutes.

-Keep your baby calm and quiet when you feed or change her during the night. Try not to stimulate or wake her too much.

-Make daytime playtime. Talking and playing with your baby during the day will help lengthen her awake times. This will help her sleep for longer periods during the night.

-Put your baby to bed when drowsy but still awake. This will help your baby learn to fall asleep on her own in her own bed. Holding or rocking her until she is completely asleep may make it hard for her to go back to sleep if she wakes up during the night.

-Wait a few minutes before responding to your child’s fussing. See if she can fall back to sleep on her own. If she continues to cry, check on her, but don’t turn on the light, play with her, or pick her up. If she gets frantic or is unable to settle herself, consider what else might be bothering her. She may be hungry, wet or soiled, feverish, or otherwise not feeling well.

-Help him fall asleep with a soothing sensation, such as rocking, sucking a thumb or hand, or non-nutritive suckling at the breast. However, never place your baby in the crib with a bottle for comfort. The natural sugar in many liquids promotes growth of the bacteria that cause tooth decay, and the effect is especially severe when the sugary residue stays in the mouth all night long. This can result in serious dental decay, known as nursing bottle caries, in developing primary teeth. Liquid, even water, pooling in the mouth can also back up through the Eustachian tubes, the tiny passages that run between the throat and ear. This can set up conditions that foster the development of ear infections.

-Give him lots of attention while he is awake. Especially early on, babies need help to feel calm and secure. Holding your baby and being sensitive to his signals and needs will not spoil him or reinforce the behavior.

-Pay attention to signs of being sleepy or overtired. By noticing your baby’s cues early on you’ll also have an opportunity to help him fall asleep before he is overtired. These signs will become easier to identify as you get to know your baby, and in turn, it will become easier for you to settle him for sleep.

It’s important for parents, caregivers, families, and friends to understand that at this age, a good sleeper is a child who wakes up frequently but can get himself back to sleep. It is not a child who sleeps without waking for 10 hours at night. Frequent waking is developmentally appropriate and allows the baby to wake up when he is in a situation in which he is not getting enough oxygen or is having problems breathing.  Sleeping undisturbed for prolonged periods at this age is not healthy.