Safe sleep every sleep
What it is
On the back, own flat firm surface, no pillows/bumpers/loose blankets, room-share without bed-share, smoke-free.
Always on
- Room temperature 20–22 °C; sleep sack instead of a blanket.
- Pacifier at sleep time is protective once breastfeeding is established.
- Once the baby rolls both ways, no need to turn them back — but stop swaddling.
In depth
What it is
Safe sleep is a set of rules that apply to every single sleep, including naps, in every place the baby sleeps and with every person who puts them down. It is the most effective thing any family does in the first year, and it takes no effort once the room is set up correctly.
The rules: on the back, on a firm flat surface, in their own cot, with nothing else in it. No pillows, no duvet, no bumpers, no cot toys, no sleep positioners. A sleeping bag instead of a blanket. In the parents' room for the first six months, but in their own cot. Not too hot. No smoking anywhere near.
Start preparing
1. Set the cot up empty before the birth and keep it that way. If it is empty, there is nothing to forget to remove at 03:00. 2. Tell everyone who will ever put the baby down — grandparents, a babysitter, the gan — that back sleeping is not a preference. 3. Use a sleeping bag suited to the room temperature. It removes the whole blanket question. 4. Room temperature around 20–22°C; feel the chest or the back of the neck, not the hands, which are normally cool. 5. Plan where night feeds happen. Falling asleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair is far more dangerous than any bed — if there is any chance of dozing off, feed in a bed cleared of pillows and duvet.
Why it matters
Back sleeping alone reduced sudden infant death dramatically wherever it was adopted. The remaining deaths are concentrated in sleep surfaces that were not clear and flat, which is the part still fully within a family's control.
Once a baby can roll both ways on their own, you still place them on their back, but you do not need to turn them back over during the night.
When to check
Ask at Tipat Halav about anything that does not fit these rules — reflux, a nasal blockage, a strong preference for the tummy, a cot in a shared room with older children. There is almost always a safe arrangement.
Call 101 immediately for a baby who is blue, limp, unresponsive or having difficulty breathing.
Sources
- Sleep-related infant deaths: updated recommendations (2022) — American Academy of Pediatrics
- Safe sleep and SIDS prevention — Israel Ministry of Health
Compiled with AI assistance from the public sources listed above. Not yet reviewed by a clinician — check anything important against the source, with Tipat Halav or with your doctor.