Safe sleep tips for your baby

I can’t help myself. When I hear the soft rise and fall of baby and toddler breathing in the room next door I have to sneak in to take a peek.

Those softly slumbering boys… the rumpled hair… pudgy hands loosely clutching loveys… and smile to think how less than an hour before, the two had been reading together:

Watching them sleep, I remember when they were babies, I’d wake to check on them nearly hourly to be sure they were still breathing. I remember being very apprehensive of SIDS dangers as a new mom (both times!).

Since October is SIDS Awareness Month, I’m partnering with HALO Sleep to bring you tips for safe sleep for babies.

Safe sleep tips for babies

ALWAYS

• Place baby to sleep on his or her back at naptime and at night time.
• Use a crib that meets current safety standards with a firm mattress that fits snuggly and is covered with a tight-fitting crib sheet.
• Remove soft bedding and toys from your baby’s sleep area (loose blankets, bumpers, pillows and positioners). The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a wearable blanket instead of loose blankets to keep your baby warm.
• Offer a pacifier when putting baby to sleep. If breastfeeding, introduce pacifier after one month or after breastfeeding has been established.
• Breastfeed, if possible, but when finished, put your baby back to sleep in his or her separate safe sleep area alongside your bed.

NEVER

• Never put your baby to sleep on any soft surface (adult beds, sofas, chairs, water beds, quilts, sheep skins etc.)
• Never dress your baby too warmly for sleep; keep room temperature 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Never allow anyone to smoke around your baby or take your baby into a room or car where someone has recently smoked.

*These safe sleep tips along with printable checklists and more information on video clips are available at the HALO Sleep website.

Now that my babies are past the need for swaddlers, I dress them in HALO Sleep pajamas. My usual preference for kids’ clothing is cotton,but the ComfortLuxe Sensitive Skin Sleepwear made with HALO’s exclusive ComfortLuxe® fabric breathes better than cotton. Baby skin doesn’t get irritated by chafing or moisture because this fabric is fast-drying and regulates body temperature.

The pajama design reduces skin irritations with features like smooth texture, flat seams and rollover cuffs (on the coverall). The fabric in these pajamas is chemical free so the benefits don’t wash away.

For the winter months, the boys are wearing the flannel-feel ComfortLuxe – it is soft, luxurious and cozy! The 4T fit quite snugly on my preschooler (he’s between 3T/4T sizes in most brands right now), but the length was ample in the sleeves and legs. The baby’s size 24 months turned out to be a bit too big on him right now but by the time cold weather swings around, I think it will fit great.

You can find HALO ComfortLuxe Pajamas on Amazon (affiliate link) or on the HALO Sleep website.

HALO Innovation’s SleepSack® wearable blankets have become the standard for hospital nurseries and parents alike. 1,000 hospital nurseries use the HALO SleepSack Swaddle instead of blankets through the HALO Safer Way to Sleep Initiative. HALO Innovations also offers free Safe Sleep Practices kits to childbirth educators to help further the cause of SIDS prevention.

I received promotional items in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.