10th March 2025
To mark Safer Sleep Week from 10–16 March, we are pleased to share this Voices blog by Jenny Ward, CEO of The Lullaby Trust, who shares new and updated, expert information and how health visitors can help.
Jenny Ward, CEO of The Lullaby Trust
We know that greater awareness of safer sleep leads to a decrease in the numbers of babies dying. Over 30,000 babies’ lives have been saved since our Back to Sleep campaign in 1991. But sadly around four babies a week still die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and if all families were aware of safer sleep advice, many lives could be saved.
This Safer Sleep Week, we’re warning families against sleep hacks, and urging caution with sleep products.
This Safer Sleep Week, The Lullaby Trust is warning families about encouraging babies to sleep for longer and more deeply for their stage of development. Though many products or online hacks promise to help babies sleep longer or more deeply, this may affect a baby’s ability to wake up if something is wrong. It may increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Many have come to associate a ‘good’ or ‘contented’ baby with one that sleeps uninterrupted, but it is vitally important for families to understand that it is usual and expected for babies under one year (or sometimes older) to wake during the night.
For Safer Sleep Week 2025, we’ll be:
- Exploring baby sleep patterns. How long might babies sleep for their age? We will help families learn what they can expect based on their baby’s age.
- Busting baby sleep myths. Are any myths backed by evidence, and what about products that promise to help your baby sleep for longer?
- Supporting families through their own lack of sleep. We’ll help with sleep deprivation, and make it easier for families to follow safer sleep with their baby, even when exhausted.
New and updated, expert information
Baby sleep patterns
This Safer Sleep Week, we have launched brand new information on baby sleep patterns. Parents and carers often worry about their babies’ sleep and might try tips and hacks to get them to sleep longer, but these can be dangerous. This can affect a baby’s ability to wake up, and we know that babies wake for their safety. In reality, baby sleep patterns are different to adults and it’s usual for them to wake often.
Go to Baby sleep patterns | The Lullaby Trust
Sleep deprivation
Though it is usual for babies to wake often, that doesn’t make sleep deprivation any easier for families! That is why we’ve updated our sleep deprivation information too. This now includes tips from other families on how to manage sleep deprivation, stay awake when needed, prevent themselves from falling asleep unsafely with their baby, and ideas on how other people can help support somebody who has a young baby.
Go to Sleep deprivation | The Lullaby Trust
How you can help
As health visitors, you are key in sharing safer sleep information with families and saving babies’ lives. You can give families a safer start to life this Safer Sleep Week by:
- Sharing our social media content far and wide to raise vital awareness. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or TikTok: @LullabyTrust.
- Download our resources for your personal use, or to display a poster where you work, like our brand new baby sleep patterns poster. You can also purchase printed resources from our shop to give to families.
- Share this article with your colleagues, or any other professional caring for babies and supporting families, so they’re aware of our new, expert information.
Safer Sleep Week has been running for over a decade now, and it has been incredible to watch it grow into a well-known, national campaign. For much of that, we have professionals and health visitors like you to thank. Thank you for supporting Safer Sleep Week, and for being there for every family, for every baby, forever.
