Safe Sleep Environment

If you’re currently pregnant or just had your little one and are creating that perfect baby nursery, then you have likely spent your fair share of time on Pinterest. However, it’s so easy to get caught up in the beauty of it all that we often forget the importance of creating the baby’s ideal safe sleep environment. The experts at Moms on Call understand that babies learn by association and routine. Giving them a boring sleep environment helps them to do just that–sleep!

Achieving the perfect balance is possible – enjoy a beautiful nursery while ensuring a safe sleep environment. Plus, everything looks better when the whole family is well-rested!

Moms on Call’s Tips for Creating a Safe Sleep Environment

The Crib

• We recommend that the baby sleeps in a crib in their own room. Babies sleep best when they are not in the kitchen of their favorite restaurant (that’s you, momma), where they can smell you from a room’s length away! 
  • However, know that babies can develop great sleeping habits in any room. You are the parent, and you choose where your baby sleeps. We are simply providing the tips that work best with the Moms on Call method!
• The crib should be less than 5 years old and have a new mattress, mattress cover, and a tightly fitted crib sheet. (Use code MOMSONCALL40 for 40% off of our favorite crib sheets from CozyEarth.)
  • We recommend a dual-firmness crib mattress like the Sleep & Grow Crib Mattress. It features extra-firm support that infants need on one side and less firmness on the other side to provide the comfort that toddlers prefer so that it will grow with your baby and their nursery!
• There should not be any pillows, stuffed animals, loose blankets, and interactive toys (including mobiles) in or near the crib. The crib should be free of all stimulation. 
  • That cute mobile can be hung over the dresser, and the perfectly chosen pillows, stuffed animals, and blankets can be placed on the floor or in a decorative basket.
  • If you choose to have a crib bumper, we recommend a thin mesh breathable bumper. 

White Noise

• White noise is reminiscent of the noise babies hear inside the womb. The white noise machine should be kept on all night long, turned up loud enough for you to hear on the other side of the door. 
  • The white noise machine should be kept 12-24 inches from the head of the crib.
  • We also recommend getting a  portable noise machine for travel.

Lighting and Temperature

• At night, the room should be pitch black. Blackout shades are wonderful for this.
• During naptime, window blinds can be left open, or a lamp can be left on. 
  • Babies’ bodies naturally regulate light. They will associate night with darkness and naptime with daylight. 
• Babies sleep best in cooler temps! The room should be kept at a cool 68-72ºF.

Check out our quick video dedicated to creating the ideal safe sleep environment for your baby!

MOC Basics: Ideal Sleep Environment from Moms On Call on Vimeo.

Like this video? You will love our  Online Video Courses! The courses bring the books to life!  We walk with you step by step through each stage of the parenting journey with our bite-sized, value-packed videos. The courses will guide you through schedule transitions and developmental milestones.

Our courses are designed to perfectly complement our books, swaddle blankets, and apps. You’re already a great parent—we’re here to help you better understand your little one.