Ensuring a safe and comfortable sleeping environment is among the most important jobs for new parents. Where your baby sleeps not only affects their short-term safety but also their overall health and development in the long run. The right sleeping arrangement can give parents peace of mind while giving the newborn the best sleep. This article addresses some of the options for newborn sleeping arrangements, safety considerations, and advice for new parents who must deal with this critical aspect of infant care.
Does it Matter Where a Newborn Sleeps?
Yes, it absolutely matters. Sleeping location has a direct impact on the newborn's safety, comfort, and quality of sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is estimating that approximately 3,500 babies die annually in America from sleep problems, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and unintentional suffocation. A majority of deaths could have been prevented if sleeping positions were appropriate.
Where newborns sleep influences:
- Breathing safety: Appropriate sleeping surfaces help maintain clear airways
- Temperature regulation: The right environment prevents overheating
- Sleep quality: Comfortable, secure spaces promote better rest
- Parental monitoring: Proximity allows for better supervision
Global health agencies have clearly defined infant sleeping environments. Of them, suggestions emphasize that infants sleep on firm flat surfaces, in the parents' room (but on a different surface) for at least the first six months of life, and never on their tummies to sleep.
What Should a Newborn Sleep In?
Selecting the ideal sleeping arrangement for your newborn is a careful consideration of numerous factors. What is best for newborn to sleep in balances safety with common sense factors such as space limitations, finances, and lifestyle needs.
When evaluating sleeping options, consider:
- Safety standards: Look for products that meet current safety certifications
- Size and space requirements: Ensure the option fits in your living arrangement
- Portability: Consider if you need to move the sleeping space around your home
- Durability and longevity: Some options grow with your baby, while others are suitable only for the newborn stage
- Ease of assembly and use: Sleep-deprived parents benefit from user-friendly designs
The most secure location for newborn sleeping is a dedicated infant sleeping area that provides proper positioning and eliminates hazards. Let us go over the various items for newborns to sleep on so you can make an informed decision.
The Best Things for Newborns to Sleep In
Bassinets
Bassinets are small, portable beds specifically designed for young infants, typically usable from birth until around 4-5 months (or when the baby can roll over or push up).
Key features:
- Compact size fits easily beside parental bed
- Lightweight and often portable with handles or wheels
- Some models include gentle rocking motions
- Higher positioning reduces strain on parents when lifting baby
Bassinets offer an ideal solution for the early months because they keep the baby close for nighttime feeding and monitoring while providing a safe, dedicated sleep space. Their small footprint makes them perfect for apartments or smaller bedrooms where space is limited.
Cribs
A crib represents a longer-term investment in your baby's sleep environment, typically usable from birth until around age 2-3.
Key features:
- Durable construction for extended use
- Adjustable mattress heights (lower as baby grows more mobile)
- Fixed sides provide consistent safety
- Some convert to toddler beds for extended use
While cribs occupy more space than bassinets, they offer a uniform sleeping environment that can adapt to your child's growth. Most babies move from the bassinet to the crib at 4-6 months of age, depending on development and size. Safety regulations now mandate cribs to have fixed sides rather than drop sides, which have been discontinued for safety purposes.
Co-sleepers and Bedside Sleepers
Co-sleepers are a middle ground between separate sleep surfaces and bed sleeping, designed specifically to attach safely to the parent's bed.
Key features:
- Three-sided construction attached to adult bed with fourth side left open
- Adjustable height to accommodate parental mattress
- Secure attachment mechanisms prevent dangerous gaps
- Easy entry for middle-of-the-night feeding and comfort
These products foster bonding with less dangerous sleep setups than direct bed-sharing. The parents should ensure that the co-sleeper is secured onto the bed's frame and the safety measures of mattress firmness and the stripping of soft beddings are installed.
Moses Baskets
These are light, portable hampers that offer a cozy sleeping space for newborns until approximately 3-4 months.
Key features:
- Extremely portable and lightweight
- Woven construction provides natural ventilation
- Often include handles for easy transport
- Compact size fits in small spaces
The portability of Moses baskets also enables parents to have their sleeping baby next to them all day while they are engaged in activities around the house. They have a shorter useful lifespan than other models, however, as babies soon outgrow them.
Playards with Bassinet Attachments
These versatile products offer both a safe sleep space and play area in one unit.
Key features:
- Multi-functional design saves space and money
- Easily foldable for travel or storage
- Bassinet attachment for newborns, playard for older babies
- Some include changing table attachments for additional functionality
Particularly useful for families who travel frequently or visit relatives, playards with bassinet attachments provide a consistent sleep environment regardless of location. The bassinet portion is typically usable until the baby reaches weight limits of around 15 pounds or begins to push up on hands and knees.
What is the Safest Thing for a Newborn to Sleep In?
The safest sleep environment for a newborn adheres to these essential principles:
- Compliance with current safety standards: Look for certification from safety organizations
- Firm, flat sleep surface: No inclines or soft bedding that could compromise breathing
- Tight-fitting mattress: No gaps between mattress and sides where baby could become entrapped
- Bare sleep space: No pillows, blankets, bumpers, or toys
Among pediatricians and safety experts, there's consensus that a safety-certified crib or bassinet with a firm mattress and fitted sheet represents the safest option for newborn sleep. These products undergo rigorous testing and must meet strict standards regarding materials, construction, and design.
The safest way for newborn to sleep also includes proper positioning—always on the back, never on the stomach or side—and appropriate room-sharing arrangements that keep the baby close but on a separate sleep surface from parents.
What Should Newborns Not Sleep In?
Certain sleep environments pose significant risks to newborns. Parents should avoid:
- Adult beds without proper safeguards: Risk of suffocation in soft bedding and entrapment between mattress and wall/headboard
- Couches and armchairs: Extremely dangerous due to cushion gaps and soft surfaces
- Car seats, swings, or bouncers for routine sleep: Can restrict airways due to positioning
- Products with inclined sleeping surfaces: These have been linked to fatalities and many have been recalled
- Older cribs that don't meet current safety standards: May have dangerous design features like drop sides
Soft bedding items should never be placed in a newborn's sleep area, including:
- Pillows
- Loose blankets
- Crib bumpers
- Stuffed animals
- Sleep positioners or wedges
- Sheepskins or other soft mattress toppers
Despite marketing claims, many baby sleep products lack adequate safety testing. Parents should be particularly wary of any device claiming to reduce SIDS risk, as these claims are rarely supported by scientific evidence.
Other Tips for Making Your Babies Sleep Safely
Beyond selecting the appropriate sleep surface, several practices enhance sleep safety for newborns:
Proper Sleep Positioning
- Back sleeping is essential: The "Back to Sleep" (now "Safe to Sleep") campaign has reduced SIDS incidence by over 50% since its introduction
- Supervised tummy time only when awake: Develops neck muscles but unsafe for sleep
- Avoid devices marketed to maintain sleep position: These pose entrapment risks
Room Configuration and Environment
- Room-sharing without bed-sharing: Keeps baby close for monitoring while avoiding risks associated with adult beds; Momcozy Smart Baby Monitor can help you keep your baby safe.
- Optimal room temperature: 68-72°F (20-22°C) helps prevent overheating
- Consider fan use: Some research suggests improved air circulation may reduce SIDS risk
- Eliminate smoke exposure: Maintain a smoke-free environment
- White Noises: Multiple soothing sounds help baby to sleep; listen to the wonderful music in Momcozy Baby Sound Machine
Sleep Surface Preparation
- Use only fitted sheets: No additional bedding required
- Check for mattress firmness: Should not indent when baby lies on it
- Regularly inspect sleep areas: Look for loose parts or wear that could create hazards
Consistent application of these practices creates a protective environment that significantly reduces sleep-related risks for newborns.
FAQs About Where Newborns Can Sleep
Where Should a Newborn Sleep First Night?
The first night at home is a big change for both the parents and the baby. For the first night and beyond, babies should sleep in a cot or crib that is put in the parents' room.
Newborn babies often sleep in clear bassinets next to their mothers' beds in hospitals, which is how experts suggest they sleep. This set-up makes it easy to feed and watch while still following safe sleep habits.
The same rules hold for home births and after being released from the hospital:
- Prepare a dedicated sleep space (bassinet, crib, or co-sleeper) in advance
- Ensure the mattress is firm with only a fitted sheet
- Place in the parents' room, ideally within arm's reach of the bed
- Following the right clothes and wrapping, keep the room at a comfortable temperature.
Where Can a Baby Sleep if There is No Crib?
A crib or cot that has been safety-certified is best, but there are temporary options for when these aren't available:
- Playard or travel crib: Designed specifically for infant sleep
- Baby box: Used in Finland's successful safe sleep program; a cardboard box with firm mattress
- Drawer removed from dresser: Placed on floor with firm, tight-fitting mattress (temporary solution only)
- Laundry basket with firm mattress: For very short-term emergency use only
- Firmly rolled towels creating boundaries on a firm surface: Last resort for one-time situations
Any temporary sleep environment should maintain these principles:
- Firm, flat surface
- No soft bedding or padding
- Protected boundaries to prevent falls
- No entrapment hazards
- Baby positioned on back
These other options should only be used as short-term fixes while a more lasting, safety-approved sleep answer is found.
What is Unsafe Sleep for Newborns?
Unsafe sleep practices significantly increase the risk of SIDS and fatal sleep accidents. These include:
- Stomach or side sleeping positions: These positions can interfere with breathing and are strongly associated with SIDS
- Bed-sharing, especially in high-risk circumstances (parental smoking, alcohol/drug use, extreme fatigue, soft bedding)
- Sleeping on soft surfaces like waterbeds, sofas, pillows, or sheepskins
- Overheating from excessive room temperature or too much clothing/bedding
- Sleep environments with gaps where infant's head could become entrapped
- Use of sleep positioners or wedges marketed to keep babies in specific positions
- Leaving items in the sleep area including toys, monitors, cords, or loose bedding
- Using outdated or modified sleep products that don't meet current safety standards
Parents should be particularly vigilant during the 2-4 month period when SIDS risk peaks, though safe sleep practices remain important throughout the first year.
Find the Ideal Sleep Environment for Newborns
Deciding where newborns sleep is vital, balancing safety, accessibility, and comfort. Research indicates the safest sleep surfaces are firm, flat, and free from hazards. Room-sharing without bed-sharing is ideal, keeping babies close for monitoring and feeding while avoiding adult bed risks. Parents should prioritize evidence-based recommendations over marketing claims when choosing between bassinets, cribs, co-sleepers, Moses baskets, and playards. Proper use of these options ensures safe sleep environments. Establishing consistent safe sleep practices reduces risks and lays a foundation for healthy sleep, benefiting both baby and family long-term. Safe sleep habits are crucial even as the newborn phase passes quickly.
