Baby safe sleep: the essentials

Before focusing on a timetable, make the sleep space the starting point. Use the same safety basics for every nap, every night and every caregiver.

Check the sleep space before every sleep

1. Start on the back. Place your baby wholly on their back for every sleep, including naps, until age one.
2. Use a firm, flat mattress. Use a snugly fitting mattress with a fitted sheet in an appropriate cot or bassinet. Do not use a sofa, armchair, nursing pillow or inclined lounging pad as a sleep surface.
3. Keep the cot clear. Leave out pillows, loose blankets, quilts, cot bumpers, cushions and soft toys.
4. Room-share without bed-sharing. HealthHub advises a separate cot or bed in the same room for at least six months, preferably the first year. Bring baby onto an adult bed only for feeding or comfort, then return baby to the cot before you sleep.
5. Keep the environment smoke-free. This includes the home, car and caregiver's home.
6. Prevent overheating. Keep the head uncovered and dress baby appropriately for the room. Do not use weighted blankets, weighted swaddles or weighted sleepwear for an infant.

Singapore guidance: HealthHub Parent Hub — Baby Sleep and HealthHub — Baby Up and About Safely. Weighted-product guidance: CDC — Helping Babies Sleep Safely.

Swaddling: use it only while it remains safe

If you swaddle, keep baby's head uncovered and make sure the wrap is not tight across the chest. Baby's hips and knees should still be able to move. Always place a swaddled baby on their back.

Stop swaddling once your baby can flip or turn on their own. A baby who starts rolling needs their arms free. Recheck the sleep space at the same time so it remains firm, flat and clear. See HealthHub's swaddling safety guidance.

A two-minute caregiver handover

Show the sleep space instead of relying only on a message. Ask the grandparent, nanny or infant-care caregiver to repeat the plan back in their own words.

• Baby starts each nap and night sleep on their back.
• The cot stays clear; nothing is added to settle or position baby.
• After a feed or cuddle, baby returns to their own sleep space before the adult sleeps.
• The caregiver knows whether swaddling has stopped and which sleepwear is used.
• Baby is never left sleeping on a sofa, armchair, nursing pillow or adult bed.
• Individual medical instructions and the family's emergency contact are easy to find.

Use the caregiver handover planner for allergies, care location, clinic details and emergency notes. Do not record unnecessary private medical information.

Build a manageable evening

Try a short sequence you can repeat: prepare the safe sleep space, meet feeding and care needs, then choose a quiet song or story. Share the sequence with other caregivers. Treat it as a family routine, not a promise that your baby will sleep through.

Do these precautions apply to daytime naps?

Yes. Use the same back-sleeping position, firm flat sleep surface and clear cot for naps and night-time sleep.

What if baby falls asleep during a feed?

HealthHub advises bringing baby onto the adult bed only to feed or comfort them, then returning baby to their own cot on their back when you are ready to sleep. Avoid feeding on a sofa or armchair if you may fall asleep.

Does the paid guide replace medical advice?

No. The 4-Month Sleep Regression Survival Guide is an educational planning resource. Speak to your baby's clinician about health, breathing, feeding or sleep-position concerns.

Sources reviewed 2 October 2026. General information, not individual medical advice. No independent clinical review. Editorial standards.