How to Create a Safe and Sleep-Inducing Environment for Your Little One

Let’s take a look at this photo.

It presents such a calming image of a sleeping baby.

I can already hear you go “Awwwwww…”

But in reality, this crib setting is actually full of potential sleep hazards - the pillow, the teddy bear and the little blanket - all of which can pose a suffocation or entrapment danger and increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Also, this room is far too bright for a baby to have restorative sleep.

When my husband and I brought our baby back home for the first time, I found it baffling that a TV set comes with a 300-page instruction manual, but a baby comes with nothing!! My husband watched our son like a hawk to make sure he was still breathing in the crib every day and night. Poor guy. That’s because he had read about the very scary term - SIDS. 

SIDS refers to the sudden death of an infant younger than one year of age that cannot be explained even after a full investigation. I don’t mean to scare you, but according to recent data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 3,600 babies in the United States die suddenly and unexpectedly each year.

Therefore, safe sleep is utterly important because it literally saves lives.

Parents often ask me if they should do room sharing or bed sharing.

My answer is always Room Sharing, at least for the first 6 months. Then after that, parents can choose either to continue room sharing or move their little one to a separate room with a baby monitor set up. Parents should keep soft objects, loose bedding, crib bumpers and other objects out of the crib. In a safety-approved crib, there should only be a firm and flat mattress covered by a fitted sheet.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that infants should sleep in their parents’ room, but on a separate surface to reduce the chance of SIDS. Bed Sharing is dangerous for many reasons. You can find more information and guidelines on AAP’s website and Safe to Sleep Organization.

With a safe sleep environment established, you will feel less worried and more relaxed to enjoy watching your baby grow.

Now, let’s go through my Top Five Tips to create an ideal sleep environment that is not only conducive to sleep, but also promotes restorative quality sleep.

·       Cool – The safest and most comfortable temperature for children is between 68°F and 72°F with a humidity of around 50%.

·       Dark – Darkness stimulates children’s brains to produce sleep hormones (melatonin) so it's helpful to keep their room dark, non-stimulating, and calm. Usually blackout curtains and blinds are the best to keep the room completely dark during the day and at night.

·       Quiet – White noise drowns out all other background and unnecessary sounds that may prevent your child from falling asleep or might wake him/her up while sleeping. Turning on your white noise machine can help establish a cue to tell your baby, “It’s time to sleep.”

·       Consistency – Babies and toddlers like routines and predictable daily activities. A consistent sleeping environment and bedtime routine can help your child fall asleep faster and easier.

·       NO Screen Time before Bedtime – This might come as a surprise to many parents who love sharing 30 minutes of their favorite TV time with their child(ren) before bedtime. However, studies have shown that babies tend to have more night wakings if they are exposed to screens before bedtime. 

Please make sure your baby has a safe and healthy sleep environment that will actively enable and ensure good quality sleep.

Safe Sleeping! Happy Sleeping!