Safe sleep
The safe-sleep essentials every caregiver should know — back to sleep, a firm flat separate surface, room-sharing, and reducing the risk of SIDS. These don't change with age.
All safe sleep guides
4-month sleep regression: signs, how long it lasts and what helps
Why sleep often gets choppier around 4 months, what the signs are, how long it tends to last, what helps and how to keep a rolling baby safe.
Babies in hot weather: keeping cool, feeds, sleep and sun safety
How to keep your baby cool and safe in hot weather, including extra feeds, water by age, sleep, prams, cars, sun protection and the signs of heat illness.
Baby nap transitions: how many naps by age and when they drop
How many naps babies and toddlers usually take at each age, how long naps last, signs a nap is ending and how to handle each transition safely.
Baby room temperature: what's safe for sleep, summer and winter
What room temperature each safe-sleep authority recommends for babies, plus thermometers, tog, heaters, fans and air-conditioning, and signs of too hot or cold.
Baby sleep when travelling: travel cots, jet lag and naps on the go
How to keep your baby sleeping safely and well away from home, from travel and hotel cots to car seats, plane bassinets, time zones and staying with family.
Baby sweating at night: causes, overheating and when to worry
Why babies sweat in their sleep, how to check if your baby is too hot, what to change, and when night sweating is a sign of illness.
Bed-sharing and co-sleeping: the risks and what guidelines say
What co-sleeping, bed-sharing and room-sharing mean, what AU, UK and US guidelines say, the highest-risk situations and how to make a bed safer.
Car seat safety for babies: rear-facing, harness fit and sleep
How to keep your baby safe in the car seat, from rear-facing rules and harness fit to bulky clothing, long trips, sleep and what to do if they slump.
Contact napping: why newborns nap on you and how to stay safe
Why newborns often only nap on a parent, why it isn't a bad habit, how to keep contact naps and babywearing safe, and how to move a sleeping baby to the cot.
Dummies for babies: SIDS, safe use and when to stop
What the evidence says about dummies and SIDS, when to start if you're breastfeeding, how to use one safely for sleep, and how and when to wean off it.
Flat head syndrome in babies: prevention, helmets and red flags
Why flat spots form on a baby's head, how to prevent and ease them while keeping back-sleeping, torticollis, what sources say about helmets, and when to get it checked.
Foods to avoid for babies under 12 months (and why)
The short list of foods and drinks to skip or change in your baby's first year — honey, choking risks, salt, sugar, certain drinks, fish, eggs and cheeses.
How to dress a baby for sleep: layers, sleeping bags and temperature
What to dress your baby in for sleep in warm and cool weather, how to use sleeping bags and tog, and how to check your baby isn't too hot or cold.
Naps on the go: safe sleep in the car seat, pram and carrier
How to keep naps in the car seat, pram, stroller and carrier safe, when to move your baby to a flat surface, and how outings fit around the day's sleep.
Newborn essentials checklist: what you actually need
A practical newborn shopping list for sleep, clothes, nappies, feeding and travel, what to buy new, what can be second-hand and what to skip.
Newborn sleep patterns: what to expect from 0 to 12 weeks
How much newborns sleep, why they wake so often, what normal sleep noises look like, and how sleep changes over the first 12 weeks.
Newborn sleep week by week: what to expect from week 1 to 12
A stage-by-stage guide to newborn sleep from week 1 to 12, with sleep totals, feeds, day-night changes, the crying peak, safe sleep and red flags.
Newborn won't sleep unless held: why, and safe ways through it
Why newborns want to be held to sleep, how to make contact naps, transfers, swaddling, dummies and slings safer, and what to do if you might fall asleep.
Pets and a new baby: preparing your dog or cat and staying safe
How to get your dog or cat ready during pregnancy, introduce them to your baby, keep pets out of the sleep space, and handle cat litter, hygiene and reptiles safely.
Safe sleep for babies: the rules for every sleep, and why
The safe sleep recommendations from Red Nose, the NHS, the Lullaby Trust, the AAP and NICHD, explained for every nap and night in the first year.
Setting up your baby's sleep space: cot, mattress and room
How to choose and set up a safe cot, bassinet and mattress, where to put the cot, and how to make the room dark, quiet and comfortable for sleep.
Siblings sharing a room: when it's safe and how to make it work
When a baby can share a bedroom with an older sibling, the safe-sleep rules, bunk bed ages, staggered bedtimes and what to do when one child wakes the other.
Sleep deprivation with a newborn: coping, safety and when to get help
How broken sleep affects new parents, practical ways to get more rest, staying safe with your baby and on the road, and when exhaustion needs help.
Swaddling a baby: how to wrap safely and when to stop
How to swaddle or wrap your baby safely for sleep, which wraps to use, hip-healthy technique, and when and how to stop once rolling begins.
The 5 S's for soothing a baby: how to do each step safely
How to use Dr Harvey Karp's 5 S's (swaddle, side hold, shush, swing, suck) to calm a crying baby, with the safety rules for each step.
Travelling with a baby: car trips, flights, sleep and packing
Practical, safety-checked advice for road trips and flights with a baby, safe sleep away from home, feeding on the go, packing and travel health.
Tummy time: when to start, how long by age and what if baby hates it
How to start supervised tummy time from birth, how much to aim for as your baby grows, positions that help, and how it relates to flat spots and safe sleep.
Unsafe baby sleep products: what to avoid and why
Which baby sleep products safe-sleep bodies in Australia, the UK and US say to avoid, from inclined sleepers and nests to weighted sacks, and why.
When do babies roll over? Ages, safe sleep and swaddling
When babies usually roll each way, how rolling develops, play that helps, what to do when your baby rolls in their sleep and when to stop swaddling.
When to move your baby to their own room, and how
How long to room-share, how to tell when your family is ready to move baby into their own room, and how to set up the nursery and make the switch safely.
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