Safe sleep week
Learn how to participate in Safe Sleep Week to help reduce the risk of infant sleep-related injury and death in Canada.
About Safe Sleep Week
Safe Sleep Week is an annual awareness campaign to promote infant safe sleep practices. It takes place in mid-March. During Safe Sleep Week, partner organizations work together to educate parents and caregivers on the risks of unsafe sleep environments. Partners include:
- Health Canada
- Parachute Canada
- Baby's Breath Canada
- the Canadian Paediatric Society
- the Public Health Agency of Canada
This year's Safe Sleep Week takes place from March 11 to 15, 2024.
#SafeSleep #SafeSleepWeek2024
Safe Sleep Week theme
The theme for Safe Sleep Week 2024 is Decorate the room, not the crib with this messaging for parents and caregivers:
Setting up your baby's sleep space is an exciting time. Some products, decorating ideas and interior design trends might look cute, but could be dangerous for your baby. Put safety ahead of style. You often see infant pillows, blankets and other padded items in cribs. You may think these items will keep your baby cozy, but they actually pose a suffocation risk.
Key messages
- A bare crib is best. All you need is a tight-fitting mattress and a fitted sheet designed for the mattress.
- Bedding sets, pillows and bumper pads, even the mesh ones, may look nice but they aren't safe for your baby because:
- any loose or soft items in or around your baby's crib can suffocate your baby
- older babies or toddlers can use bumper pads to climb out of their crib
- Baby nests, loungers or pods (small, portable pads with soft, cushion sides) and other soft products like nursing pillows may look cozy but they shouldn't be used for sleep. These products increase a baby's risk of suffocation. They should never be used in a crib, cradle or bassinet, or on an adult bed for a baby to sleep in.
- Hang artwork, shelves and other wall decor away from your baby's crib, as they can:
- fall into your baby's sleep space and injure your baby
- be pulled down into the crib as your baby learns to stand and climb
- Keep safety in mind when choosing the best spot for your crib:
- Place the crib away from windows. Make sure window coverings don't have long accessible cords. Loose cords can strangle your baby.
- Keep all cords from baby monitors, lamps, sound machines and other electronics out of reach of your baby's crib.
- If you have a baby monitor, be sure to keep it out of reach of your baby. If you mount your baby monitor, mount it on a wall and not on your baby's crib.
Get involved and spread the word
The aim of Safe Sleep Week is to reach as many parents and caregivers as possible.
To support this initiative, we encourage you to:
- follow us and share our posts on X, Facebook and LinkedIn:
- X: @GovCanHealth/@GouvCanSante
- Facebook: Healthy Canadians/Canadiens en santé
- LinkedIn: Health Canada/Santé Canada
- create and share your own posts
- print out and display our poster
- talk to parents and caregivers about safe sleep
Resources
- Posters
Poster 1
Image Text View or download 
A poster showing 4 safe sleep tips for babies. Image shows a sleeping baby on their back.
Safe Sleep Week
Tips for Safe Sleep
Does your baby sleep in a safe space?
Follow these tips to keep your baby safe during every sleep. Share these safety tips with everyone who cares for your baby.
- Place your baby alone, on their back for every sleep.
- Have your baby sleep in a crib, cradle or bassinet.
- Proved a firm, flat sleep surface with only a fitted sheet
- Avoid all soft items like blankets bumper pads and nests.
Learn more at: www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/safe-sleep.html
(PDF, 186 KB) Poster 2
Image Text View or download 
A poster showing 4 safe sleep tips for babies. Image shows a sleeping baby on their back.
Safe Sleep Week
Tips for Safe Sleep
Does your baby sleep in a safe space?
Follow these tips to keep your baby safe during every sleep. Share these safety tips with everyone who cares for your baby.
- Place your baby alone, on their back for every sleep.
- Have your baby sleep in a crib, cradle or bassinet.
- Proved a firm, flat sleep surface with only a fitted sheet
- Avoid all soft items like blankets bumper pads and nests.
Learn more at: www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/safe-sleep.html
(PDF, 277 KB) - Social media posts
Facebook 1
Image Text View or download 
Photo of a baby sleeping on their back alone in their crib.
Place your baby alone, on their back for every sleep.
(1200x1000, 1.01 MB) Twitter 1
Image Text View or download 
Photo of a baby sleeping on their back alone in their crib.
Place your baby alone, on their back for every sleep.
(1200x675, 659 KB) Facebook 2
Image Text View or download 
Photo of a baby on their back alone in their crib.
Have your baby sleep in a crib, cradle or bassinet.
(1200x1000, 1.04 MB) Twitter 2
Image Text View or download 
Photo of a baby on their back alone in their crib.
Have your baby sleep in a crib, cradle or bassinet.
(1200x675, 733 KB) Facebook 3
Image Text View or download 
Photo of a baby on their back alone in their crib.
Avoid all soft items like blankets, pillows, bumper pads and nests.
(1200x1000, 0.97 MB) Twitter 3
Image Text View or download 
Photo of a baby on their back alone in their crib.
Avoid all soft items like blankets, pillows, bumper pads and nests.
(1200x675, 614 KB) Facebook 4
Image Text View or download 
Photo of a baby sleeping on their back alone in their crib.
Provide a firm, flat surface with only a fitted sheet.
(1200x1000, 949 KB) Twitter 4
Image Text View or download 
Photo of a baby sleeping on their back alone in their crib.
Provide a firm, flat surface with only a fitted sheet.
(1200x675, 612 KB)
Related links
- Safe sleep on the go
- Safe sleep for your baby
- Setting up a safe nursery
- Cribs, cradles and bassinets
- Dressing your baby for sleep
- Creating a safe sleep environment for your baby
- Joint statement on Safe Sleep: Reducing sudden infant deaths in Canada
- Circumstances surrounding sudden and unexpected sleep-related deaths, 2015 to 2020
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