Half of parents are using unsafe sleep products for babies, charity warns

New research reveals a gap between parents’ confidence and safer sleep reality ahead of Safer Sleep Week.

Close-up photograph of a newborn sleeping in his crib with his toys

Published: February 17, 2026 at 10:09 AM

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New research from The Lullaby Trust has revealed a worrying mismatch between how confident parents feel about baby sleep safety and what is actually in their baby’s cot.

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Ahead of Safer Sleep Week 2026, the charity says many families are unknowingly using products and setups that go against safer sleep guidance, often influenced by reassuring marketing claims.

While 95% of parents and carers say they feel confident about baby sleep safety, just 5% could correctly identify all safer sleep setups when shown a range of sleep environments and products.

Half of parents are using products that go against guidance

The survey of 1,000 UK parents of babies under 12 months, carried out by Censuswide in November 2025, found that 51% say their baby sleeps in at least one product that does not follow safer sleep guidance.

These include items such as swings, bouncy chairs, pods or nests.

Nine in ten parents also reported having items in their baby’s sleep space that are not recommended, including teddy bears or cuddly toys, blankets or throws placed on top of the mattress, pillows, cot bumpers and sleep positioners.

Many parents described these items as comforting or harmless, highlighting how easily unsafe practices can become normalised.

The impact of marketing on exhausted parents

The research points to the powerful role marketing can play in parental decision making. More than half of parents say they use products that are unsuitable for sleep, many of which are promoted with words such as “comforting” or “breathable”.

Mother breastfeeding baby son in bedroom and using mobile phone

For sleep deprived parents scrolling at 3am, those claims can feel reassuring.

Becky, 37, who lives in South Wales with her wife Hannah and their 15 month old daughter Flo, says clear guidance is essential, especially when fears around SIDS are heightened.

“‘Google is a double-edged sword," she says. "It’s extremely helpful but also full of misinformation. This is made even harder to navigate, since the time we tend to google most is during the night feed, when we are most tired. Simple, trustworthy information in moments like this would be a lifesaver.”

Lucy, a 42-year-old stand up comedian and solo mum to Polly, six, and Bessie, almost two, agrees that marketing can feel overwhelming.

“It's the products for sale that are supposedly 'SIDS-proof' that are worrying," she says. "No product or company can guarantee that, and The Lullaby Trust makes that very clear. But when you're a vulnerable parent and terribly exhausted, products to help get your baby to sleep can be tempting.”

What are the safer sleep essentials?

Jenny Ward, CEO at The Lullaby Trust, says the findings highlight a clear disconnect between confidence and reality.

baby wearing white sleep suit sleeping in cot

“This research highlights a worrying disconnect between how confident parents feel about safer sleep and what is actually happening in babies’ sleep spaces – and marketing plays a significant role in that gap. Parents are being surrounded by products promoted as ‘comforting’, ‘breathable’ or ‘essential’, which can give a false sense of safety even when those items do not align with safer sleep guidance. For safer sleep, it really comes down to a few simple essentials,” she says.

For safer sleep, it really comes down to a few simple essentials.

Jenny Ward, CEO at The Lullaby Trust

According to The Lullaby Trust, those essentials include:

Ward adds: “A cot, a portable sleep space like a Moses basket, travel cot or carry cot, and a firm, flat, waterproof mattress all help create a safer sleep environment. A well-fitted baby sleep bag or lightweight bedding and a room thermometer can make a big difference too. And while a car seat is essential for safe travel, it should not be used as a sleep space when you are not on the move.”

Why Safer Sleep Week matters

Safer Sleep Week 2026 runs from 9 to 15 March and aims to cut through confusion around what babies really need.

“We know that safer sleep guidance saves lives. Since our Back to Sleep Campaign in 1991, almost 32,000 babies’ lives have been saved. But still around 188 babies die of SIDS every year in the UK, and we won’t stop until no baby dies suddenly and unexpectedly,” says Ward.

“By highlighting common misconceptions and refocusing attention on the essentials, Safer Sleep Week aims to empower parents with confidence grounded in evidence rather than marketing. The Lullaby Trust is reminding parents and carers that just because a product made it to the shelves, doesn’t mean it’s suitable for sleep. Keep it simple to keep it safe.”

For busy mums juggling feeds, naps and endless advice, the message is reassuringly simple. You do not need lots of gadgets or expensive add ons to create a safer sleep space, just the right basics, used in the right way.

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For more information and guidance, parents can visit The Lullaby Trust website as part of Safer Sleep Week.

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