Sleep Safety
Governor JB Pritzker
Heidi E. Mueller, Director
Sleep Safety
Download the above graphic here.
Sleep suffocation is the leading cause of reported child deaths in Illinois. Your baby should not sleep in a bed, couch or chair with anyone, even other children. If you breastfeed in bed, soothe your baby back to sleep while standing and return her to crib when she is finished. Always place your baby on his back to sleep.
Your baby should sleep in a crib with a firm mattress covered by a tightly fitted sheet. Babies die every week in Illinois while sleeping on adult beds, couches, pillows, blankets and other soft surfaces as well as in car seats, bouncy seats and infant swings.
Additional sleep safety tips:
Keep stuffed animals, toys, pillows, blankets, quilts, crib bumpers and sleep positioners out of your baby's crib.
Don't smoke before or after your baby is born, and don't let others smoke around your baby.
Try using a pacifier when placing your baby to sleep, but don't force it. If you are breastfeeding your baby, wait until he is one month old or is used to breastfeeding before using a pacifier.
Don’t let your baby overheat during sleep. Dress her lightly for sleeping, and keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.
Your baby needs plenty of supervised “tummy time” when he is awake to help build strong neck and shoulder muscles. Don’t let your baby spend too much time in car seats, carriers and bouncers.
If you are having difficulty getting your baby to sleep, contact your pediatrician or the
Fussy Baby Network
at 1-888-431-BABY (2229).
Visit the
Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Crib Safety Information Center
for sleep safety tips and a list of recalled products.
Printable resources
ABCs of Safe Sleep
handout:
Spanish
Polish
Chinese
Hakka Chinese
Haitian Creole French
ABCs of Safe Sleep poster
8.5 x 11:
Spanish
Polish
Chinese
Hakka Chinese
11x17:
Spanish
Polish
Chinese
Hakka Chinese
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This website is intended to provide information about services and resources for children and families in Illinois.
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