Safe Sleep Tips for Your Baby

Looking for safe sleep tips for your baby? Moving your baby from your bedroom to her crib for the first time is nerve wracking. I worry so much about the baby being safe while sleeping in her crib. There are many safe sleep tips for your baby, but these are the most important.

Ailey’s transition to the crib a few months ago was not easy on any one of us. Whether she feels the crib is scary, or she isn’t in her swaddle correctly, or she has gas, or there is a noise outside – my baby is a modern day princess in the pea. 

Tip 1: Make sure the baby is warm.

Once she became used to the crib, we ran into the problem of how to keep her warm at night. For some reason, she has the chilliest bedroom in the house, so I knew a simple pair of pjs would not be enough. The HALO® SleepSack® Wearable Blanket is the smartest (and coziest) solution.

Tip 2: Don’t use blankets.

We don’t have to worry about the blanket becoming tangled around her legs, or face, if she is wearing a HALO® SleepSack® Wearable Blanket. There is an inverted zipper for easy diaper changes and it is made from 100% cotton, so it’s comfortable and easy to wash. Ailey is 7 months old and currently wears a size Medium (see the size chart here). I love how the SleepSack is roomy enough at the bottom for her to kick her legs around, but not so long that she becomes caught.

Ailey sleeps best during the day in her crib – at night, we still haven’t figured out what she needs to sleep easier. 

Tip 3: Keep soft objects, loose beddings, or other objects out of the crib.

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends the use of wearable blankets vs. loose blankets in the crib. They say to keep soft objects, loose bedding, or any objects that could increase the risk of entrapment, suffocation, or strangulation out of the baby’s sleep area.

These include pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, blankets, toys, bumper pads, or similar products that attach to the crib slats or sides. So, if you’re worried about the baby becoming cold, you can use a HALO® SleepSack® Wearable Blanket.

More Safe Sleep Tips (source)

ALWAYS

• Place baby to sleep on his or her back at naptime and at night time.
• Use a crib that meets current safety standards with a firm mattress that fits snugly and is covered with only a tight-fitting crib sheet.
• Remove all blankets, comforters and toys from your baby’s sleep area (this includes loose blankets, bumpers, pillows and positioners). The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a wearable blanket instead of loose blankets to keep your baby warm.
• Offer a pacifier when putting baby to sleep. If breastfeeding, introduce pacifier after one month or after breastfeeding has been established.
• Breastfeed, if possible, but when finished, put your baby back to sleep in his or her separate safe sleep area alongside your bed.
• Room share, but don’t bed share. Bed sharing can put a child at risk of suffocation.

NEVER

• Never put your baby to sleep on any soft surface (adult beds, sofas, chairs, water beds, quilts, sheep skins etc.)
• Never dress your baby too warmly for sleep; keep room temperature 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Never allow anyone to smoke around your baby or take your baby into a room or car where someone has recently smoked.

About HALO

HALO Innovations is dedicated to putting the health, safety and well-being of babies first. In fact, over 1,400 hospitals use HALO® SleepSack® wearable blankets through the HALO Safer Way to Sleep Initiative.  HALO offers parents everything they need for safe sleep from our HALO SleepSack Swaddles and SleepSacks that grow with baby to toddlerhood to our best-selling HALO Bassinest^TM Swivel Sleeper.

This post was sponsored by HALO. All opinions are my honest and my own.