Safe Sleep

Your baby’s safety is our priority. Our team is committed to educating families on how to create a safe sleep environment and providing resources to stay safe.

Key Safe Sleep Guidelines

• Back to sleep: Always place your baby on their back for every sleep — naps and nighttime.
• Firm sleep surface: Use a firm, flat mattress in a safety-approved crib, bassinet, or play yard with a fitted sheet. Avoid soft surfaces such as sofas, armchairs, or adult beds.
• Keep it clear: The crib should be free of blankets, pillows, bumper pads, stuffed animals, and toys.
• Room share, not bed share: It’s safest to keep your baby’s sleep area in the same room where you sleep for at least the first 6 months. Do not bed share.
• No smoking: Avoid exposure to smoke, alcohol, or illicit drugs during pregnancy and after birth. These significantly increase the risk of SIDS.
• Offer a pacifier: Offering a pacifier at naptime and bedtime can reduce the risk of SIDS. If breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is well established.
• Avoid overheating: Dress your baby in appropriate clothing and keep the room at a comfortable temperature. Avoid hats and blankets while sleeping.
• Breastfeed if you can: Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS.
• Tummy time: Give your baby supervised tummy time while awake each day to strengthen muscles and prevent flat spots.
• Immunizations: Keep up with your baby’s regular checkups and vaccines—they are linked to lower SIDS risk.

Educational Resources

• AAP Safe Sleep Guidelines
• Safe to Sleep® Campaign (NIH)
• Crib Safety (CPSC)
• Cribs for Kids®

Resource classes

The Henry Ford Health Injury Prevention team offers a variety of resources and classes to help our families stay safe.

Resources materials

Our Injury Prevention team and Safe Kids Oakland County collaborates with Cribs for Kids to provide free safe sleep resources like Cribette play yard cribs and sleep sacks to families in need.

To qualify, new or expecting parents and caregivers must attend an education session from Safe Kids Oakland County on safe sleep and provide proof of current enrollment in a qualifying program. Caregivers must also sign and submit a qualifying program affidavit to the instructor during the safe sleep class. This program is currently being offered to Oakland County residents only.

Qualifying programs include:

• Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• Partnership. Accountability. Training. Hope. (PATH) cash assistance
• Refugee Assistance Program
• Children’s Special Health Care Services
• MI Child
• Head Start or Great Start
• Medicaid
• Children with Special Needs Fund
• Maternal Infant Health Provider (MIHP) services or other home visit program
• Native American Outreach Program Family Independence Programs
• Social Security/Disability
• Bridge Card/food assistance
• Emergency replacement after fire (fire report required)
• Court referral or other court document
• Proof of child in foster care by foster parent or reunification plan

Safe sleep items vary and may include Cribette play yard portable cribs, sleep sacks, pacifiers, and board books.

Safe Sleep Classes

We host and participate in classes throughout the community focused on educating you and keeping your family safe. Browse our upcoming classes and search using the keyword “safe sleep.”