The Evolution of Safe Sleep for Babies

Safe-sleep recommendations have changed a lot over the years…and the more experts have learned, the safer babies have been able to sleep! Here’s a look at just how far we’ve come.  

The Evolution of Safe Sleep

1973: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission develops the first federal crib safety standards.

1980s: Up until the early 1990s, parents were told to place their newborns on their stomachs to prevent choking when they spit up.  

1988: Medical experts in the Netherlands recommend against babies sleeping on their tummies to help reduce SIDS risk.

1991: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) begins examining infant sleep positions and their association with SIDS.

1992: The AAP recommends sleeping babies be placed on their backs or sides to help reduce the risk of SIDS. At this point, only 13% of babies are put to bed on their back.

1994: The Back to Sleep campaign begins to spread the word that placing infants on their backs to sleep can reduce the risk of SIDS. 

1996: Further research reveals side-sleeping is dangerous! The AAP now states that babies need to be placed “wholly on their backs” for sleep. Using a firm sleep surface and avoiding soft bedding are now safe-sleep musts, too. 

2000: The AAP declares that bed-sharing with babies is hazardous.

2001: 72% of babies are put to bed on their backs! Nearly 10 years after the AAP began promoting “back to sleep,” the incidence of SIDS in America declines by more than 50%. 

2005: The AAP suggests using a pacifier and room-sharing with your infant to help reduce SIDS risk. They also warn that overheating and secondhand smoke exposure increases the risk of sleep death. 

2010: New guidelines finally require all cribs to comply with national safety standards. 

2011: Safe-sleep recommendations now include regular prenatal care, breastfeeding, and infant vaccinations. Plus, drop-side cribs are banned for safety issues.

2012: The Back to Sleep campaign becomes The Safe to Sleep campaign.

2016: The AAP now advises that parents room-share for at least 6 months, but ideally a year. They also warn that babies should NOT snooze on sofas and chairs and should NOT routinely sleep in car seats, strollers, swings, and baby carriers. 

2022: The AAP makes it clear that sleep surfaces with an incline of more than 10 degrees are unsafe! Weighted blankets/swaddles and wearing a hat while sleeping get the official thumbs down from the AAP. Dangerous padded crib bumpers and inclined sleepers for infants are finally banned in America.

2023: Happiest Baby’s SNOO Smart Sleeper becomes the first and only baby sleep system to receive FDA De Novo authorization for its ability to keep sleeping babies safely on their backs! (For important safety information visit happiestbaby.com/fda.)

More on Baby Sleep Safety:

• SNOO: The Next Step in Baby Safety
• Sleepytime Products to Keep Out of Your Baby's Crib
• Safe Sleep Musts Parents Need to Know
• Baby Sleep Positions: What's Safe?

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.