Baby sleep checklist
Split into the non-negotiables — how and where they sleep safely — and the routine that's yours to build however suits the family.
19 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Cot in the parents' room for the first six monthsCurrent guidance for reducing the risk of SIDS — not forever, just the first stretch.
- Always put them down on their back to sleepFor every sleep, every time, including naps — the most repeated piece of safe sleep advice, for a reason.
- Firm, flat mattress with a well-fitted sheet
- Nothing loose in the cot: no pillows, no duvet, no bumpers, no soft toysAll of it is a suffocation risk before their first birthday, however cosy it looks.
- Room temperature between 16 and 20°CCheck with a thermometer rather than by feel — overheating is a known risk factor.
- Sleeping bag with the right tog for the season, instead of loose blankets
- A smoke-free room and car
- Dummy at sleep times, if you're using oneUsing one at sleep times once feeding is established is linked to a lower risk of SIDS — a health visitor can talk through the timing.
- Consistent bedtime routine, the same order every night
- Bath or a wash
- Feed
- Book or a quiet moment
- Same room, same darkness, same time
- Blackout blind or curtain
- White noise, if it helps them settle
- Checking they're not too hot, by feeling their chest or the back of their neckHands and feet are normally cooler and aren't a reliable check.
- A safe sleep space wherever you stay overnightA travel cot or a moses basket rather than a sofa, a regular bed, or an armchair.
- One approach to settling, agreed between whoever's doing bedtimeMore than one reasonable way exists to help a baby learn to sleep — what matters is everyone doing the same thing.
- Health visitor's number, for sleep that isn't settling into any pattern at all
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- Why does the cot stay in our room for six months?
- It's current guidance for reducing the risk of SIDS. It doesn't mean total silence or never leaving the room — just the cot itself, nearby, for that stretch.
- Is one sleep-training method better than another?
- There's genuine disagreement between reasonable approaches, and this list doesn't take a side — what matters more is picking one and having everyone in the house stick to it.
- What temperature should the room actually be?
- Roughly 16 to 20°C. A room thermometer is a more reliable check than how warm the room feels to an adult standing in it.