
Sleep environment
A bedroom needs to look like a peaceful space to help your child sleep.
Simplicity is Key. Don’t turn the bedroom into a playroom. Limit the colors, prints, playful artwork, and displayed toys that might "stare" at the baby. Infants often struggle to distinguish between a picture looking at them and a real person. They might get scared and refuse to sleep because the painting "isn't sleeping." Avoid placing a television in the bedroom.
If space is limited and you don't have a separate room for the baby, try to define the sleep area for the baby, the parents' sleep area, and the play area.
Darkness Helps the Baby Fall Asleep. Use blackout curtains to make the room as dark as possible. If you can see the outlines of objects in the room, it’s not dark enough.
Sleepwear
Use a firm and flat sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved cot, covered by a fitted sheet, with no other bedding or soft items in the sleep area. Do not leave pillows, toys, or blankets in the baby's crib. Dress your baby in sleep clothing, such as a wearable blanket or sleep sack. Do not use a loose blanket, and do not overbundle.
It’s really important your child’s bedroom and bedtime is a safe sanctuary. Never use your child’s cot or bed as a place of punishment or for time-out. Doing this would risk destroying your child’s comfort at bed time and would create the feeling of the bed as a prison. Then your child has most likely lost all their trust in you.
