Setting Up A Safe Sleep Environment For Your Baby or Toddler.
Safe sleep is one of the most important things I can ever discuss on any of my platforms. I do not take it lightly and would never go around willy nilly making suggestions or turning a blind eye to known risk factors.
But the reality is the western approach to infant and toddler sleep safety in ways is very different from how many other developed and underdeveloped countries around the world view sleep safety. The fact that in the United States it’s recommended for infants to sleep between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit, that babies must sleep on a separate sleep surface, means that parents can afford both a crib and air conditioning. Is that temperature range ideal? Sure, but I try to keep an open mind about how infant sleep is viewed around the rest of the world and realize that some of the guidelines here in the states are quite inequitable. (It’s important to keep in mind there are many countries around the world that have far fewer cases of SIDS than the United States does.)
Anyways, when it comes to infant and toddler sleep, environment is one of the few things parents have the most control over. The goal is to create a space that is safe and calming. Both of these things can have a positive impact on your baby’s sleep. If the space doesn’t feel calming and relaxed to you, it probably won’t for your baby either. This does not mean you need to go out and buy a bunch of things to make a spa like environment for your baby either!
SETTING UP THE SPACE:
LIGHT-
Making sure baby’s room is dim or even pitch black can be helpful at night to signal that it is bedtime and ensure that we are not interfering with baby’s melatonin production. Our internal biological clock is governed by light and darkness. If we want to signal to a baby that it is time to sleep, it can be helpful to dim the lights for bedtime. You can consider using blackout blinds or attaching a dark sheet over the window if your little one is having a hard time winding down. A helpful tip for traveling to hotels or other houses is to bring a dark sheet for darkening any room. This will also help in the morning to keep the sun from shining in and waking baby.
When we are exposed to artificial light, it can suppress melatonin production for up to one and a half hours. Dimming the lights throughout the house after dinner and during the nighttime routine can be a signal to baby that it is time to sleep. If you do need a light in their room in order to see while breastfeeding or changing diapers, I’d recommend a red/orange/warm light bulb. It’s best to try to keep the room as dim as possible during overnight wakes, but of course there will be times when you need a light. I personally really like the soft glow a salt lamp gives off. We also have a hatch in Ruth’s room- they have many light color options and you can adjust the brightness as well. We also just bought this flip over night light for me to keep on my nightstand to use during overnight wakes with the new baby and I think it’ll be super handy!
It’s also important to note that exposure to natural light right away after waking can he incredibly helpful in regulating sleep patterns and melatonin production. So, be sure to open curtains/blinds first thing in the morning and (if possible!) get outside within an hour of waking!
DO BABIES NEED TO NAP IN DARK / PITCH BLACK ROOMS TOO? not necessarily! It can definitely help some babies to settle down (especially ones who seem easily distracted) and isn’t harmful to them in anyway. But, not all babies need this and are happy to nap in rooms with the curtains open.
SOUND-
This is another topic that seems to be debated right now in the sleep community. Noise can be a great option for some families and some babies but this is not true for all and therefore it’s important to tune into your baby and see what works best for them. A white noise machine, fan, or air purifier (we’ve had this one since we got married in 2016 and it still works so well!) can be a great way to block out all of the other noises going on in the home while baby is sleeping. If baby is in a phase of light REM sleep, creaky floors, television, or siblings could potentially wake them. A portable white noise machine can also be helpful for naps on the go! We have this one but this portable night light/white noise machine combo seems like a great option too!
White noise at about 50 decibels (similar to the sound of a running shower) will help drown out any background noises. If it’s too loud for you, it’s too loud for a baby. There is a nice meditative song called “Gamma Waves” by Pure Focus (available on iTunes), which can be set to repeat. Note that some babies do not like noise. So again, tuning into your baby and seeing if they find it soothing or distracting can be very helpful!
Nightstand / dressers /etc should be out of reach of cribs or floor beds or toddler beds. Make sure cords are inaccessible and furniture is secured to the wall. We have this night light/sound machine combo in Ruth’s room that we really enjoy!
TEMPERATURE-
Again, the 68-72 range might seem ideal and we’re often told babies sleep best in cooler rooms, but this control over temperature is a luxury many people don’t have. There are lots of babies all over the world that sleep in very hot spaces or live in a climate that is hot and humid, and this entire population of babies sleep just fine. So while the “research” states that cooler is better, that is not always the case and the majority of households in the world do not have air conditioning, or a way to cool a house to that temperature in the warmer months.
A few things to note about temperature- it is REALLY important that you dress your baby for the temperature they’re sleeping in. Although there is no real danger to being too cold for sleep, there is definitely danger in being too hot and overheating. Breathable fabrics for sheets and sleepwear, such as organic cotton or bamboo, work best. (both baby gap and h&m have reasonably priced organic cotton pajamas for babies and kids!) Fleece fabrics are not ideal as they can cause babies to sweat even if they are not too hot. (and, fleece is made of plastic and that plastic gets absorbed into baby’s skin.)
The best way to check a baby’s body temperature is to feel the back of their neck. Chilly nose or hands aren’t necessarily a good representation of how the whole body is feeling.
Signs that a baby might be cold:
Moving around the crib space
Restless sleeper
Prefers tummy position
Tucks hands into body
Wakes often wanting to be held
Wakes between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m.
Cat napper
Back of the neck cold
If the room is too warm, there is a danger that baby could overheat. A general rule of thumb for dressing babies is to put them in one extra layer than an adult is comfortable in.
Some signs that a baby might be too warm:
Sweaty and hot around the neck or back
Breathing too fast or shallow
Waking up often
You will know when you see too warm
GUIDE: how to dress baby for sleep.
SAFE CRIB SLEEP GUIDELINES-
There are several different governing bodies—the Canadian Paediatric Society, federal and provincial/state public health agencies, and the American Academy of Pediatrics—who have created a variety of guidelines around how to help our babies sleep safely and to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Some of the recommendations are:
Make sure that your home is a smoke-free environment, both before and after your baby is born.
Let your baby room-share with you (co-sleep) but on their own firm, flat surface.
Place the crib/bassinet within arm’s reach.
Make sure the crib/bassinet is free from toys, blanket, pillows, and bedding.
Breastfeed, if possible, for at least the first six months.
Remember the ABCs of crib sleeping: your baby should be placed Alone, on their Back, and in the Crib.
Make sure that your baby isn’t overheating.
Make sure that you explain the safe-sleeping guidelines to anyone who is caring for your baby.
Make sure your baby does not sleep in a playpen, car seat, or swing (the sleeping position can compromise the baby’s airway, and he can asphyxiate while in any of these devices).
For more information, see the following resources:
American Academy of Pediatrics: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/A-Parents-Guide-to-SafeSleep.aspx
Canadian Paediatric Society: http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/safe_sleep_for_babies
Safe sleep video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ2NXdZ_sHo
It’s not to say I disagree with all of these statements, most of them are genuinely a VERY good idea, however if you’ve been here awhile you know I don’t agree with the stance that babies must be on their own surface or the ABCs of sleep. Here’s why I don’t agree with the AAP’s recommendation to never bed share and here’s how you can practice safer bed sharing and substantially reduce any associated risks.
BED SHARING / CO-SLEEPING / ROOM SHARING-
As I just stated above, I do not agree with the anti-bed sharing guidelines put out by the AAP. I linked a blog post above as to the many reasons why I think this abstinence only approach to bed sharing is quite honestly unsustainable for many families and is rooted in ablism, racism, classism, and ethnocentrism. Before jumping to any conclusions, please take the time to read that blog post to get a better understanding. Again, safe sleep is NOT something I take lightly and only want to educate on the various ways you can provide a safe sleep environment for your baby or toddler.
Co-sleeping (often confused for bed sharing) simply refers to the baby sleeping within close sensory proximity to their primary caregiver(s). Perhaps within arm’s reach or even with the crib ten feet away as long as the parent and the baby have some sort of contact with each other. There is a committed adult caregiver within sensory range of the baby (McKenna).
There are several different forms of co-sleeping including room-sharing, bed-sharing, and co-sleeping on a couch or recliner (which is not safe!!). One of the biggest benefits of room-sharing is that a parent can soothe, comfort, or feed their baby overnight without needing to go to a different room.
“We have become a breastfeeding culture, and there is a very important connection between co-sleeping and breastfeeding. It is much easier for a mother to manage the frequent feeds of nursing babies if they are close by” (McKenna). It is also a really great way to support babies through the separation anxiety that can arise around 9 and 12 months and, most importantly, a great way to be close enough to respond in an emergency. It is recommended to co-sleep for the first 6 months of life, but ideally for the full first year.
According to both Professor James J. Mckenna and Professor Helen Ball (leading bed sharing experts) 60-75% of breastfeeding mothers bed share, even when they do not intend to. This happens because this is the biological norm – if you look at sleep around the world, most mothers bed share. For this reason, I think it’s critical to understand safer bed sharing just in case you find yourself wanting or needing to.
Blanket statements are made about the dangers of bed sharing, without education around the individual risk factors that make it more dangerous (I will discuss these in a moment). MANY countries in the World practice bed sharing and their rates of SIDS are basically non-existent.
"Japan, another industrialized country, not only has one of the lowest infant mortality rates (less than 3 infants per 1000 live births compared with around 7 for the United States), but one of the lowest SIDS rates in the world (between .2 and .3 babies per 1000 live births compared with approximately .5 per 1000 infants for the US). The Japan SIDS Family Organization reported that SIDS rates continue to decline in Japan as maternal smoking approaches practically 0, and exclusive breastfeeding reaches around 70-75 % . In fact, one report shows that as bed sharing and breastfeeding increased and as maternal smoking decreased, SIDS rates decreased. This suggests yet again that it is not necessarily bed sharing, but how it is practiced, that can be dangerous." Professor James McKenna
What I really want to emphasize here is that an infant's natural habitat is the mother's body. They need and are constantly seeking proximity and connection. This is how it was always meant to be. Expecting a baby, who only attaches through the senses to be able to sleep alone in their crib for an entire 12 hours, away from their caregiver is not realistic and is why many families end up bed sharing even if they never intended to! Add to this parents who are needing to return to work and spending 8 hours away from their infant during the day.
Bed sharing isn’t for every family and not wanting your baby in your bed is valid. However, understanding our infant’s need for closeness can go a long way in reducing parental stress around their baby’s sleep.
This is our current set up for our 2.5 year old. (READ: not suitable for an infant!!) but safe for a toddler floor bed set up.) The bed is on bed frame slats (from IKEA) to prevent the mattress from molding. Her blanket is lightweight and the pillow she uses is the ideal toddler size. There is nothing she can get trapped in (which could lead to asphyxiation) and while the bed doesn’t have safety rails, it’s low enough to the ground where she wouldn’t get hurt if she fell.
