For every sleep, place the baby on their back in their own cot on a firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet. Keep pillows, bolsters, bumpers, toys, loose bedding and other soft items out of the sleep space, and room-share without bed-sharing.
This guide is written for a parent, grandparent or caregiver preparing a baby’s sleep space. It resolves a specific job: run the same evidence-based cot and room check before every nap and night sleep. Start with the branch that matches the facts, then keep the supporting record until the transaction, visit, filing or safety task is complete.
Choose the branch before acting
| Your situation | Next move |
|---|---|
| Baby is being put down for a nap or night sleep | Use the same back, clear cot and firm-surface check |
| Baby fell asleep on a sofa, armchair or nursing pillow | Move the baby to the cot as soon as it is safe to do so |
| Caregiver may fall asleep during a feed | Arrange support and return the baby to the cot before the adult sleeps |
| A clinician gave case-specific positioning advice | Follow the qualified clinician’s instruction and ask how to keep the setup safe |
Do not combine branches merely because two labels sound similar. The correct branch depends on the actual person, date, property, product, service or location involved. If one fact is unknown, pause at that row and verify it instead of carrying an assumption into the rest of the task.
Use the back position every time
HealthHub recommends placing babies on their backs for every sleep, including naps. The current position is set out by HealthHub baby sleep safety.
Make every caregiver use the same rule rather than changing position by time of day. Add the relevant date, document, amount, location or responsible person to the same record. That makes the choice reproducible and prevents a broad rule from being applied to the wrong facts.
Use a firm, flat surface
Soft or angled products can allow a baby’s face to press into fabric or place the body in an unsafe position. The supporting detail is available from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital infant guide.
Use the cot mattress and fitted sheet specified for the cot. Add the relevant date, document, amount, location or responsible person to the same record. That makes the choice reproducible and prevents a broad rule from being applied to the wrong facts.
Clear the cot
Pillows, bolsters, cot bumpers, quilts, blankets and toys can create suffocation, entrapment or strangulation risks.
Do a hand sweep before every sleep and keep decorative items elsewhere. Add the relevant date, document, amount, location or responsible person to the same record. That makes the choice reproducible and prevents a broad rule from being applied to the wrong facts.
Room-share, do not bed-share
The official guidance supports a separate cot in the caregiver’s room, particularly in the first months.
Place the cot close enough for feeds and checks without putting the baby in the adult bed for sleep. Add the relevant date, document, amount, location or responsible person to the same record. That makes the choice reproducible and prevents a broad rule from being applied to the wrong facts.
Avoid sofas and loungers
HealthHub specifically warns against sofas, armchairs, nursing pillows and pillow-like lounging pads as sleep surfaces.
Move a sleeping baby to the cot rather than leaving them where they nodded off. Add the relevant date, document, amount, location or responsible person to the same record. That makes the choice reproducible and prevents a broad rule from being applied to the wrong facts.
Align every caregiver
A safe setup fails if a well-meaning relative adds a pillow or blanket.
Place a short checklist near the cot and demonstrate it during handover. Add the relevant date, document, amount, location or responsible person to the same record. That makes the choice reproducible and prevents a broad rule from being applied to the wrong facts.
Get help for exhaustion or concern
Severe caregiver fatigue can make safe routines harder, and breathing, colour or responsiveness concerns need urgent assessment.
Share night work and contact qualified healthcare or emergency services when needed. Add the relevant date, document, amount, location or responsible person to the same record. That makes the choice reproducible and prevents a broad rule from being applied to the wrong facts.
Worked example
A clear-cot check takes under a minute: baby on back, firm flat mattress, fitted sheet, no loose or soft item, cot in the caregiver’s room and no sleeping adult sharing the surface. Repeat it after every feed and handover.
The example is a calculation or planning model, not a promise about an individual outcome. Replace every example input with the live figure, document, route condition or case fact. Keep intermediate workings, because rounding too early or skipping one stage can produce an answer that looks plausible but cannot be checked.
Build one usable decision file
Create a short record with four columns: fact, evidence, effect on the decision and next owner. Put the controlling rule beside the particular fact it governs. A page about the right subject is not enough if it does not contain the number, deadline, eligibility test or operational detail used in the decision.
Save a dated copy or acknowledgement when the task is time-sensitive. If another person needs to continue the work, they should be able to see what was checked, what remains uncertain and which official channel can resolve it. This is especially important where contracts, money, employment, safety or personal data are involved.
Final check
- Place baby on their back
- Use the cot’s firm flat mattress
- Fit the sheet securely
- Remove every loose or soft item
- Keep the cot in the caregiver’s room
- Move sleep away from sofas and loungers
- Share the same checklist with every caregiver
This is general safety guidance, not individual medical advice. Seek prompt clinical help for breathing, colour, responsiveness or feeding concerns.
Related LBRD guides
You may also need to complete a separate newborn life-admin task. For the next adjacent task, recognise caregiver overload and seek support.
