Key takeaways: Only cribs, bassinets, play yards, and bedside sleepers that meet federal standards are safe for sleep. Inclined sleepers and crib bumpers are banned from sale. Loungers, nests, positioners, and weighted products shouldn’t be used for sleep. Move sleeping babies from car seats, swings, and bouncers to a flat surface.
Baby stores and social media are full of products promising better sleep. Many aren’t designed for unsupervised sleep, and some have been linked to infant deaths. Here’s what to avoid.
The Rule: Firm, Flat, and Bare
The AAP recommends infants sleep on a firm, flat, non-inclined surface designed for infant sleep and meeting federal safety standards, with nothing else in it.
Banned Products
The Safe Sleep for Babies Act (2022) banned the manufacture and sale of:
- Inclined sleepers (with an incline greater than 10 degrees).
- Crib bumpers (padded bumpers).
Older products may still be found secondhand. Don’t use them.
Products to Avoid for Sleep
- Infant loungers, nests, and pods: padded products designed for supervised awake time, not sleep. Babies can roll into soft sides or the cushioning and suffocate.
- Sleep positioners and wedges: the FDA warns they can cause suffocation and haven’t been shown to reduce SIDS or reflux complications.
- Weighted sleep sacks, swaddles, and blankets: the AAP advises against them. Babies need to be able to move and rouse.
- Rockers, swings, bouncers, and car seats outside the car: sitting devices can cause a baby’s head to fall forward, restricting the airway. If your baby falls asleep in one, move them to a flat surface.
- Hammocks and slings for sleep.
- Adult beds, couches, and armchairs.
- Mattress toppers or extra padding in cribs or play yards.
From the author
From First Breath to First Birthday is my month-by-month guide to your baby’s first year, written as a NICU and postpartum nurse. My book covers sleep month by month, alongside feeding, growth and the warning signs that mean it’s time to call the doctor.
Products With Limited Evidence
- Home heart rate and oxygen monitors: not shown to prevent SIDS. They can cause anxiety and false reassurance.
- “Smart” bassinets: some are FDA-authorized for specific uses, but the AAP says families shouldn’t rely on any product to reduce SIDS risk in place of safe sleep practices.
What About Baby Carriers?
Carriers are great for awake time and calming. If your baby falls asleep in one, make sure their face is visible, chin is off the chest, and airway is clear (“TICKS”: Tight, In view at all times, Close enough to kiss, Keep chin off the chest, Supported back). Move them to a safe sleep space when you can.
How to Check a Product
- Look for compliance with Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards.
- Search the CPSC recall database at CPSC.gov.
- Be cautious with secondhand products.
- If a product is marketed for sleep but isn’t a crib, bassinet, play yard, or bedside sleeper, be skeptical.
Call 911 if your baby is not breathing, is blue or gray, or is unresponsive. Begin infant CPR if trained.
The Bottom Line
Only cribs, bassinets, play yards, and bedside sleepers that meet federal standards are safe for sleep. Loungers, inclined products, positioners, and weighted products don’t belong in your baby’s sleep routine.
Want more support for your baby’s first year? My book, From First Breath to First Birthday, is available on Amazon.
Related Articles
- Room-Sharing Without Bed-Sharing: Setting Up a Safe Space
- Buying Secondhand Baby Gear Safely
- Baby Registry Essentials: What You Really Need for the First Three Months
Sources
- Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Sleep-related infant deaths: updated 2022 recommendations for reducing infant deaths in the sleep environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057990.
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safe Sleep for Babies Act; infant sleep products rule (16 CFR Part 1236). https://www.cpsc.gov
- US Food and Drug Administration. Do not use infant sleep positioners due to the risk of suffocation. https://www.fda.gov
- Liaw P, Moon RY, Han A, Colvin JD. Infant deaths in sitting devices. Pediatrics. 2019;144(1):e20182576.
- Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Evidence base for 2022 updated recommendations for a safe infant sleeping environment to reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057991.
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Infant slings and carriers safety. https://www.cpsc.gov
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
