Infant/ Parent Education/ Parent Resources/ Resources/ Safety/ Sleep
Infant/ Parent Education/ Parent Resources/ Resources/ Safety/ Sleep

Where Should Baby Sleep?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a firm, flat sleep area for your baby–a crib, portable crib, bassinet, or play yard (such as a pack and play) that follows the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is recommended. The mattress should be covered by a tightly fitted sheet with no other bedding or soft items in the sleep area.

Sometimes parents unknowingly allow their baby to sleep in a space that is not safe. Do you know where your baby shouldn’t sleep? Rockers should never be used for sleep and infants should never be unsupervised or unrestrained in the Rockers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Fisher-Price are alerting consumers to at least 13 reported deaths between 2009 and 2021 of infants in Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rockers and Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers. 

Parents and caregivers should never use inclined products, such as rockers, gliders, soothers, and swings, for infant sleep and should not leave infants in these products unsupervised, unrestrained, or with bedding material, due to the risk of suffocation. CPSC recently finalized a rule requiring that infant sleep products have a sleep surface angle of 10 degrees or less. The rule goes into effect on June 23, 2022.

To learn more, go to What Not to Do – Unsafe Sleep Spaces. If you are having trouble figuring out if a product is safe for sleep, go to How Do I Know If It’s Safe for Sleep?

Parents and caregivers are reminded:

  • The best place for an infant to sleep is on a firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet or play yard.
  • Parents and caregivers should use a fitted sheet only and never add blankets, pillows, padded crib bumpers, or other items to an infant’s sleeping environment.
  • Infants should always be placed to sleep on their back. Infants who fall asleep in an inclined or upright position should be moved to a safe sleep environment with a firm, flat surface such as a crib, bassinet or play yard.

– Learn more about the safest way for babies to sleep at

michigan.gov/safesleep
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