Safe sleep for newborns: keeping baby warm without overheating
The UK's safer sleep advice in plain words — back to sleep, a clear flat cot, the right room temperature — and how to square it with the traditional instinct to bundle babies up.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is rare, but simple steps reduce the risk a great deal. In the UK, the advice comes from the NHS and The Lullaby Trust, and every midwife and health visitor will go through it with you.
Some of it sits uneasily with traditional habits — especially keeping a newborn very warm. This guide covers what to do and how to explain it to grandparents and your 陪月.
The core advice
- Back to sleep, every time. Put your baby down on their back for every sleep, day and night. Once they can roll both ways by themselves, you don't need to roll them back.
- A clear, flat, separate space. A cot or Moses basket with a firm, flat, waterproof mattress, and nothing else in it: no pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, soft toys, sleep positioners, pods or nests, or weighted products.
- Same room for the first 6 months. Keep your baby's cot in the room where you sleep, for day and night sleeps, for at least the first 6 months.
- Feet to foot. Place your baby with their feet at the foot of the cot, so they can't wriggle down under the covers.
- Smoke-free. Don't smoke during pregnancy or around your baby, and keep your home and car smoke-free.
- Never on a sofa or armchair. Falling asleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair is especially dangerous. If you're feeding on the sofa and feel sleepy, put the baby down in their cot.
Warm, but not too warm
This is where tradition and guidance clash most. In 坐月 thinking, babies, like their mothers, should be kept away from cold and drafts. But babies can't regulate their temperature well, and overheating is a known risk factor for SIDS.
What the guidance says:
- Keep the room at a comfortable temperature — around 16–20°C is recommended. A room thermometer takes the guesswork out.
- Use light bedding or a baby sleeping bag of the right size and tog for the room temperature. If you use a blanket, tuck it in firmly no higher than the baby's shoulders.
- Keep the head uncovered. Babies cool down through their head and face, so don't put a hat on a baby to sleep indoors.
- Take off outdoor layers — hats, coats, snowsuits — as soon as you come inside or into a warm car, even if the baby is asleep.
- Check by feeling the chest or back of the neck, not the hands or feet, which are often cool. If they're sweaty or hot, remove a layer.
Sharing a bed
The safest place for your baby to sleep is their own cot in your room. Many parents do end up sleeping with their baby, planned or not, so it's worth knowing when it's never safe:
- if you or your partner smoke,
- if you've drunk any alcohol or taken drugs or medication that makes you drowsy,
- if you're extremely tired,
- if your baby was born premature or with a low birth weight.
If you do share a bed, keep pillows and duvets away from the baby, put them on their back, and make sure they can't fall out or get trapped between the mattress and the wall.
Briefing your 陪月 and family
A carer who has worked in Hong Kong may be used to different habits — babies sleeping on their tummies or sides to "shape the head", pillows in the cot, or heavy layers. Go through the safe-sleep basics on their first day and ask them to follow them for every sleep, including naps. A good carer will be glad to.
Sources
Disclaimer
- Our articles are general information only. They are not medical, legal or other professional advice, and they don’t replace advice from your midwife, health visitor, GP or another qualified professional who knows your situation.
- Postnatal Link is not a healthcare provider. Carers on Postnatal Link offer practical postnatal support; they don’t replace your NHS midwife, health visitor or GP.
- We check articles against NHS and other official UK sources at the time of writing, but guidance changes. Check the latest advice, and never ignore professional advice or delay getting help because of something you read here.
- Traditional confinement practices and foods are described as cultural information, not as health claims.
- Links to other websites are provided for information; we aren’t responsible for their content.
- In an emergency call 999. For urgent medical advice call NHS 111 or go to 111.nhs.uk.
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