Safe sleep: the basics every parent should know

This guide is general information only and isn't a substitute for medical advice. If you're concerned about your child's health, or they're unwell, please see a doctor.

Before any sleep routine or settling method, safe sleep comes first. In Australia the guidance comes from Red Nose, whose recommendations are designed to reduce the risk of sudden infant death for all babies aged 0 to 12 months. Here's the short version, with every point sourced so you can check it yourself.

Red Nose's six safe sleep recommendations

Red Nose recommends six steps for every sleep, day and night:

• Always place baby on their back to sleep, not on the tummy or side.
• Keep baby's face and head uncovered.
• Keep baby smoke free, before and after birth.
• Provide a safe sleeping environment night and day: a safe cot, a safe mattress, and safe bedding.
• Sleep baby in their own safe sleep space in the same room as their parent or caregiver for at least the first six months.
• Breastfeed baby, which has been shown to reduce the risk of sudden infant death.

What a safe sleep space looks like

The safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own cot or bassinet that meets the current Australian Standard, with a firm, flat mattress that fits snugly. Keep the cot clear: no pillows, soft toys, bumpers, or loose bedding, which are suffocation hazards.

A safe infant sleeping bag, or firmly tucked-in bedding that reaches no higher than the chest, helps keep baby's face uncovered through the night.

A note on co-sleeping

Red Nose does not recommend sharing a sleep surface with your baby, as bed-sharing increases the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy, and it advises never sleeping with a baby on a sofa or couch. If you think you might feed or fall asleep alongside your baby, Red Nose has specific guidance on how to make the space safer, which is worth reading in advance.

Safe sleep is one area where there's unusually strong scientific consensus, so it's worth getting these foundations right before thinking about routines or settling methods.

These recommendations are backed by decades of research and align with national health advice, so they represent the settled consensus rather than one opinion among many. If a product, a hack, or a piece of advice you see online conflicts with them, treat the Red Nose guidance as your reference point, and check anything you're unsure about with your child health nurse or GP.

Sources

• Red Nose Australia, Six safe sleep recommendations
• Red Nose Australia, Safe sleeping guide
• Red Nose Australia, Co-sleeping with your baby

Last updated: July 2026. Sources include Red Nose Australia and Raising Children Network where cited above. This guide is general information only. For individual concerns, see your GP or child health nurse.