You probably already know the ABC’s of safe sleep – that is:
ALONE: Your baby should always sleep alone
BACK: Your baby should be put to sleep on their back.
CRIB: Your baby should only sleep in a crib or bassinet.
But have you wondered about WHY these guidelines are in place? We break it down below.
Alone
Babies should sleep in their own safe space, and not bedshare (or co-sleep) with parents. Bedsharing can create a suffocation situation when babies get covered by blankets or pillows. For babies 4-months or younger, bedsharing is associated with a 5x - 10x increase in SIDS incidents. That risk goes up significantly if parents have been smoking, drinking or taking drugs.
But it’s not always so cut and dry. The newborn stage is exhausting and parents can be desperate for sleep, especially if they’re juggling newborn life with work life. In moments of desperation, it’s all too tempting to take baby into bed and hope for a few extra minutes of precious sleep. The percentage of parents who report co-sleeping has doubled in recent years. Tragically, the number of SIDS incidents associated with bedsharing has also risen by 184%
How to Safely Co-Sleep
We designed our Bassinet with this parenting experience in mind. It swivels over your bed, allowing you to sleep extra close (read: inches away) from your babe, but still have them in their own separate safe space. A lowering wall also makes it easy to place them back in the Bassinet for when you’re done feeding and feeling beyond exhausted.
Back
If you’re an expecting or new parent you’ve likely heard “Back is Best” about a million times. It’s the number one safe sleep recommendation, and we think it’s so important we embroider it on every we sell.
Why is back sleeping so critical? Simple - it’s proven to significantly reduce the risk of SIDS. Babies who sleep on their tummies have a 3x to 4x higher risk of SIDS vs those placed on their back for sleep. In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatricslaunched their Back To Sleep campaign, resulting in a 50% decline in the annual SIDS rate.
Experts think a baby sleeping on stomach can lead to SIDS by causing the baby’s mouth and nose to be blocked by soft bedding. Having the face so close to a mattress can cause “rebreathing” of exhaled breath, which causes a rise in carbon dioxide and a drop in oxygen.