Sleep Positions

I keep forgetting how flexible babies are. When my daughter stretches, she does a back-bend that would snap my spine in half. If I hold her under the arms and gently swing her legs back and forth, she's as loose as a limp cat. As I write this, she's on her back in the crib, arms thrown over her head, feet together, knees apart, fast asleep.

Everything we've read tells us that babies are best kept on their backs or, if they're old enough, their sides when they sleep. Sleeping face-down increases the risk of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, because very young children lack the ability to lift their heads. Face-down positions can cause the mouth and nose to be blocked, leading to suffocation. So my sweetie and I are vigilant about ensuring that our daughter sleeps face-up.

Of course, as with anything else related to babies, there's an industry catering to, and doubtless profiting from, sleeping. A quick cruise through the relevant Amazon page reveals a boatload of devices designed to keep your baby in an optimal sleeping position. Other sources include the comparison sites NexTag and Epinions. Target even offers buying guides, including one for cribs, lest you lose an opportunity to part with your hard-earned cash.

My wife and I haven't gotten anything resembling a sleep positioner yet but, if we do, we'll probably check with Consumer Reports before rushing out to get anything. It'll cost, of course, but reliable knowledge is almost always worth buying.

The question is, are sleep positioners?