Safety: Four places your small baby should NEVER fall sleep

When your baby is sleeping restfully – it's all too tempting to leave them be. 

Let sleeping babes lie, and all that jazz. But where they sleep is important. 

"The safest place for your baby to sleep at night," the HSE says, "is in a cot in your room – bed-sharing can be dangerous."

However, it also emphasises: "Cot death is still quite rare so while it is important to take all the necessary precautions, do not let fear spoil precious times with your baby."

There are four places you should avoid letting your little one slumber… 

1) In a bouncer

Some babies love to drift off in their bouncer or swing – but this can be hazardous. If your baby does drop off, you need to ensure that you are supervising them fully – that means watching them closely and not leaving the room, even for a few moments. 

2) In a car seat…

Unless you're in a moving vehicle, it's just not a good idea to have your baby sleeping in their car seat. Many babies are happy enough to be transferred to their cot or Moses basket too.

3) A sofa

This is potentially the most dangerous place for your baby to sleep. Firstly, they could easily roll off and hurt themselves, but more importantly – several studies strongly link sleeping on a sofa or a couch to an increased risk of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths. 

4) Your bed

You can make co-sleeping safer – if you're a non-smoker and breast-feeding, for example. However, an adult bed is not designed for babies. This is particularly true if there is an amount of heavy blankets, soft pillows, or a gap between the mattress and the bed's frame or the wall. 

You can find out more about safe sleeping for your baby on the HSE website here.