Start every sleep on the back
Place the baby on the back for every sleep, at night and for daytime naps. This also applies to babies who commonly bring up milk; the back position does not increase choking risk in a healthy infant. Side sleeping is unstable, while front sleeping is not safe for unattended sleep. During awake time, active adult supervision and short periods on the tummy support development. Once an older baby can confidently roll both ways, you do not need to turn them back throughout the night, but always start sleep on the back and keep the cot empty.
Use a firm, empty sleep space
Choose a safety-compliant cot or bassinet with a firm, flat mattress and a tightly fitted sheet. The sleep space needs no pillow, duvet, bumper, nest, positioner, soft toy, sheepskin or loose cloth. These products do not make sleep safer and may cover the airway or trap the baby. The mattress must fit without gaps. Place the cot away from blind cords, heaters and objects that could fall. Check a second-hand cot against the manufacturer’s instructions, and do not use one with a damaged mattress, altered structure or missing hardware.
Same room, separate surface
In the early months, keep the baby’s cot in the caregiver’s room while providing a separate sleep surface. This makes feeding and observation easier. Falling asleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair is particularly dangerous because the child can become wedged. If you bring the baby into an adult bed to feed, remove pillows and loose covers from the area in advance, ask a partner to help you stay awake and return the baby to the cot afterwards. Bed-sharing becomes especially risky with smoking, alcohol, sedating substances, extreme tiredness, prematurity or low birth weight.
Prevent overheating and smoke exposure
Keep the room comfortable for a lightly dressed adult. Use well-fitting sleep clothing or a correctly sized sleep sack instead of a loose blanket, and check the baby’s chest or back of the neck. Hot, sweaty skin means layers should be removed; cool hands alone do not prove the baby is cold. A hat is unnecessary indoors during sleep. Protect the child from tobacco, nicotine and other smoke or aerosols during pregnancy and after birth. Smoking in another room does not remove the residues carried on clothes, hair and surfaces.
Manage sleep away from the cot
A car seat is designed for protected travel, not routine sleep at home. At the destination, move a sleeping baby to a firm, flat surface. Bouncers, swings, feeding pillows and inclined devices are not safe for prolonged sleep. In a pram use only a manufacturer-approved fully flat carrycot and maintain airflow. Remove outdoor layers once indoors, and do not cover a pram with a thick cloth because heat rises and ventilation falls. Supervision means direct, active observation, not merely being elsewhere in the same house.
Evening safety check and emergencies
- baby placed on the back;
- mattress flat and firm, with a fitted sheet only;
- head and face uncovered and cot empty;
- baby comfortably warm, not hot;
- no tired adult holding a sleeping baby on a sofa;
- cords, chargers and monitor wires out of reach.
A consumer monitor cannot replace a safe environment or a caregiver’s assessment. If the baby is not breathing normally, turns blue, does not respond or cannot be woken, call 113 immediately and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Seek medical advice for unusual breathing effort, poor feeding, fever or a rapid behaviour change even when a monitor has not sounded.
A personal action plan
Information becomes easier to use when it is turned into a small plan. Choose one adult who can help with calls, transport or note-taking when needed. Mark only the next manageable step; the entire list does not have to be completed in one day. This plan focuses on a safe sleep setting for every nap and night:
- place the baby on their back on a firm, flat mattress;
- keep the cot empty of pillows, loose bedding, bumpers and soft toys;
- keep the room comfortable and check that the baby is not overheating;
- after a feed, move the baby from a sofa or adult bed to the baby's own sleep space.
What to record and ask
Keep the date, key facts, advice received and next review point in one note. This makes it easier to describe the situation accurately when tired and prevents an agreement from being lost. Prepare these questions before speaking with an authority or professional:
- Does every caregiver follow the same safe-sleep rules?
- What needs to change when travelling, visiting others or arranging daytime naps?
If wellbeing worsens, do not wait for a planned appointment merely because earlier advice was reassuring. In Latvia, call 113 for an immediate threat to life, unconsciousness or severe breathing difficulty; 112 can also be used in an unclear emergency.