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Sleep time should be safe and relaxing for everyone. However, infants and toddlers require special attention around bedtime to help keep them safe! Parents should follow all guidelines for safe sleep and should use approved cribs or bassinets that meet federal regulations for safe sleep.
Here are a few tips for safe sleep that will help keep bedtime safe for your children. Following these guidelines could save lives, so make sure you memorize these helpful tips.
The federal government implemented its current guidelines for cribs and bassinets on June 28, 2011. Make sure you only use approved products made after this date for your baby’s bedtime. If you get an outdated or hand-me-down crib, it might not have the proper safety features that are now required by law.
Don’t try to save money by buying an outdated crib. Your child’s safety is worth more than money! You can even find discounted cribs and bassinets online – just make sure they were made after 2011.
When you put an infant to bed, make sure you place them on their back. Infants might look comfortable sleeping on their stomachs, but this is dangerous. Just because adults enjoy sleeping this way doesn’t mean that you should arrange a baby in such a sleeping position.
Babies who fall asleep on their stomachs can accidentally block their air passageways by pressing their face against the mattress or sheet. Because they have underdeveloped upper body strength, infants can struggle to lift themselves out of this position and suffocate.
This is also why it’s vital that infants sleep in a flat, enclosed space where they can’t accidentally press themselves against an object like a pillow or stuffed animal. Blankets in cribs are also a hazard!
Infants need their own dedicated, separate sleeping space. While some parents like the idea of their baby sleeping in the same bed as them so they can keep an eye on them, this isn’t a good plan. It’s easy for an infant to get pinned under an adult while the adult is asleep.
Likewise, babies need to sleep in cribs because flat spaces offer the least chances for a child to suffocate. Keep all pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals out of the infant’s crib at bedtime so they don’t have many chances to become pinned under soft objects and stop breathing. Taking the time to follow these guidelines could save your baby’s life, so take them seriously!
