your guide to safer sleep

Welcome to the safer sleep guidelines from our friends and partners at The Lullaby Trust. Folk & Thread are proud to be an official supporting partner of The Lullaby Trust, the UK’s leading safer sleep charity. Together we are dedicated to promoting safer sleep for all babies, creating peaceful nights and peaceful minds.

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Sleeping position

Always place your baby on their back for every sleep, both during the day and at night. Babies who are placed on their front or side to sleep have a much higher risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), so always putting your baby on their back for sleep is the safest option.

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Bedsharing

Whether planned or unplanned, if you choose to share a bed with your baby, it's important to avoid certain risks. Never bedshare if you or anyone in the bed has consumed alcohol, smokes, or has taken drugs or medication that cause drowsiness. Also avoid bedsharing if your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks) or weighed under 5½ lbs at birth.

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Sleep space

Give your baby a safe, separate sleep space on a firm, flat surface in the same room as you. Avoid soft or raised surfaces, as well as pillows or quilts, which can make it difficult for babies to breathe or cool down. A clear cot with no bumpers, toys, or loose bedding is the safest environment. Babies are at lower risk of SIDS when they sleep in the same room as an adult.

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Smoking

Avoid exposing your baby to tobacco smoke both before and after birth. Babies who are exposed to smoke have a much higher risk of SIDS compared to those who are kept in a smoke-free environment.

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Sofas & armchairs

It’s extremely dangerous to fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair. The risk of SIDS is 50 times higher and there’s also a risk of accidental death if a baby becomes trapped in an unsafe position. Always move to a safer space if you feel sleepy.

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Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding for at least two months can halve the risk of SIDS. Breast milk provides all the nutrition your baby needs for the first six months and offers added protection against infections and diseases.