A giant resource list for safe infant sleep
Whether you’re a doula, birthworker, midwife or other postpartum care professional, you probably care passionately about supporting new parents to make informed decisions. So do we!
Unfortunately, the internet is a mass of advice, from the good to the mediocre to the downright misleading. The topic of infant sleep is especially riddled with misinformation. Parents can quickly become overwhelmed and confused when searching for answers to questions like “How much sleep does a newborn need?” or “How can I co-sleep safely?”
If you work with parents, it’s important to have a stash of high-quality resources and downloads to share.
With that in mind, we’ve scoured the web for the best infant sleep resources, so you don’t have to! Just bookmark this page, print out the resources you need, or share the links with your postnatal clients. (Tip: If you’re looking for a specific sub-topic, use your browser’s search function to find it on this page.)
The Australian Association for Infant Mental Health (AAIMH)
AAIMH is a not-for-profit organisation of professionals from a range of disciplines, including health, education and welfare.
Their 2022 Position Statement on Infant Sleep states:
AAIMH is concerned that extinction-based behavioural sleep interventions are not consistent with the infant’s needs for optimal emotional and psychological health and may have unintended negative consequences … These types of sleep interventions are at odds with the overwhelming body of evidence that shows that the foundations for lifelong physical and psychological health are laid down in infancy when distress is responded to in a prompt and reliable way. - AAIMH
Read the AAIMH full position statement on infant sleep here.
Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)
The ABA has many excellent resources on baby sleep. Some of these are aimed towards parents, while others are aimed towards professionals working with parents and babies. Here are a few of our favourites.
Top infant sleep resources from ABA:
Try not to worry about what you 'should' or 'shouldn't' be doing with your baby's sleep. Get creative with sleeping arrangements and do what works for your family to get maximum rest. - ABA
The Baby Sleep Information Source (BASIS)
BASIS is the result of a collaboration between the Durham University Parent-Infant Sleep Lab, La Leche League, NCT, and the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative.
Top infant sleep resources from BASIS:
Popular beliefs about when babies should be ‘sleeping through the night’ are based on studies conducted in the 1950s and 1960s on groups of formula-fed babies. However, it is normal for babies – especially breastfed babies – to wake and feed throughout the night during, at least, the first year. - BASIS
The Beyond Sleep Training Project
The Beyond Sleep Training Project was originally a small Facebook group started by a mum and has since grown into “a haven for those who wish to parent their babies by listening and responding to their needs.” This is a good one to share with clients who are feeling very alone and might benefit from connecting with parents who have been through similar experiences.
James McKenna's Mother-Baby Behavioural Sleep Laboratory
Dr. James McKenna is an anthropologist and researcher of mother and infant sleep. His website provides downloadable scientific articles, as well as access to educational PowerPoint presentations and television appearances about his work on mother-infant cosleeping and breastfeeding.
“The solitary infant sleep environment represents a neurobiological crisis for the human newborn …sleeping alone in a room by itself and not breastfeeding are now recognized as independent risk factors for SIDS”
The Safe Cosleeping Guidelines are especially useful to share with families.
La Leche League
La Leche League offers evidence-based breastfeeding information and support through meetings and individual contact. They have plenty of good resources about infant sleep in the context of breastfeeding.
Safe Sleep for Breastfeeding babies (a printable infographic)
Lullaby Trust
Based in the UK, the Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families.
Newborn Mothers blog posts about infant sleep
Here are some articles from our archives that are aimed at parents (rather than professionals). They are short and sweet, perfect for sleep-deprived new parents to skim over a hot cuppa!
Red Nose Foundation
Red Nose is Australia’s leading authority on safe sleep and safer pregnancy advice. They also provide bereavement support for anyone affected by the loss of a pregnancy, stillbirth or the death of a baby or child.
Safe Sleeping Resources for Parents, Carers and Health Professionals (printable posters and brochures)
UNICEF
The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative enables public services to better support families with feeding and developing close and loving relationships so that all babies get the best possible start in life.
Caring for your baby at night and when sleeping (downloadable leaflet)
Co-Sleeping and SIDS: A Guide for Health Professionals (downloadable leaflet)
Remember to bookmark this page as we will keep adding high-quality resources that you can share with your postpartum clients.
Looking for even more articles about infant sleep? Read these:
5 myths about newborn sleep
How to help newborn mothers get more sleep
