SIDS Awareness Month - Practice Safe Sleep

Disclosure: I have received a HALO SleepSack in exchange for my review.  The opinions are 100% my own.

Winter is upon us.  Well not yet, but the chill is in the air and we need to keep those babies warm.  Your first reaction may be to put lots of blankets on your baby when you put them down to sleep.  Please resist this urge because blankets in the crib are a SIDS risk.  With October being SIDS Awareness Month I would like to talk to you about safe sleeping practices and give you another option to keep your little one warm.

What is SIDS?  This is the sudden death of an infant less than 1 year of age that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly.  There is a type of sleep related  SIDS that is associated with airway obstruction in the sleep environment caused by suffocation by soft bedding, another person rolling on the infant, becoming wedged between two object, or strangulation.  To counteract these dangers, we need to create a safe sleep environment for our little ones.

Did you know that 80-90% of SIDS-related deaths are due to unsafe sleep practices?  During the month of October HALO will donate $1 to SIDS Awareness for every new Facebook "Like" they receive.  Help us spread the word about Safe Sleep by sharing this post today.  You may save a baby through educating another.

Safe Sleep Practices begin with:

ALWAYS

• Place baby to sleep on his or her back at nap time and at night time.
• Use a crib that meets current safety standards with a firm mattress that fits snuggly and is covered with only a tight-fitting crib sheet.
• Remove all soft bedding and toys from your baby’s sleep area (this includes loose blankets, bumpers, pillows and positioners). The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a wearable blanket instead of loose blankets to keep your baby warm.
• Offer a pacifier when putting baby to sleep. If breastfeeding, introduce pacifier after one month or after breastfeeding has been established.
• Breastfeed, if possible, but when finished, put your baby back to sleep in his or her separate safe sleep area alongside your bed.

NEVER

• Never put your baby to sleep on any soft surface
• Never dress your baby too warmly for sleep; keep room temperature 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Never allow anyone to smoke around your baby or take your baby into a room or car where someone has recently smoked.

With all of these dangers, how do we keep our babies warm?  HALO has a great micro-fleece SleepSack that will do the perfect job.  During the warmer months we are a fan of the cotton SleepSack, but definitely needed something heavier for the winter.  The HALO micro-fleece SleepSack (also available in Early Walker and Big Kids sizes) is made out of the softest material.  I pair the Sleep Sack with some foot pajamas and we are good to go to beat the chill.  I know Nugget loves his new Sleep Sack because he falls asleep much quicker when he is wearing it.

Make sure that you are providing a Safe Sleep environment for your baby.  Ditch the blankets and pick up a HALO micro-fleece SleepSack today!  My Jordanian Nugget is also giving away one in honor of SIDS Awareness Month.

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