Sleep mistakes to avoid for baby's best sleep

It's a question most new parents have when it comes to newborn babies – how do you get them to sleep? We enlisted the help of sleep consultant Alanna McGinn from Good Night Sleep Site to reveal some common mistakes parents can be making when it comes to sleep quality and sleep safety.

Temperature in the nursery

The thermostat is a common mistake – the temperature is often too high. People might think warm is better for baby or maybe they think they should try to recreate the warmth of the womb, but a cooler bedroom is actually more inviting for sleep. If you're worried about your baby getting cold at night, you can use a sleep sack, which is a wearable blanket!

Baby sleeping on stomach

To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, healthy babies should always be put to sleep on their back – not their stomach or sides. There's been some confusion around this because at one point it was believed babies could sleep on their backs or sides, but that was later modified because sometimes babies roll from their side onto their belly. The safest sleep position for babies is on their back!

Blankets in the crib

A child should not be using blankets in their crib until they're about 18 months old. Too much bedding, or the wrong kind of bedding, can cause accidental suffocation and overheating, which are believed to be a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome. Instead, wearable blankets or sleep sacks that won't get tangled will help keep your baby cozy.

Stuffed animals in the crib

As with blankets, don't let your baby sleep with any soft objects until they're at least 12 months old. According to the Academy of Pediatrics, pillow-like toys, blankets, quilts, crib bumpers, and other bedding increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome and death by suffocation or strangulation.

Light coming through the window

The darker your child's bedroom, the better – even a sliver of light peeping around the edge of a curtain is enough to wake up the most sensitive of little sleepers during their sleep cycle transitions. Trust us when we say that black out blinds, or even garbage bags on the window, can be your best friend!

Baby monitor too close to the crib

Chords pose a choking hazard and need to be kept away from little hands. Help keep your baby safe by keeping the monitor at a distance from the crib.