Necessity is the parent of invention and the same holds true for Safe Infant Sleep. Our group was born out of a need for accountability and to provide a space for support during the long wee hours of the night when a new caregiver feels particularly vulnerable.
Founder Amanda Simons tells us exactly how it began:
“My best friend had her sixth baby and is living proof that it’s never too late to change behaviors. She has bedshared with every baby, but after reading one mother’s plea to consider the risks after losing her son, she was determined to make safe sleep happen. It was doable but difficult in those early weeks, so she would post in a small private Facebook group each night and ask us to hold her accountable and keep her awake. Someone was inevitably always up nursing their baby, tending to an older child, or just getting some much-needed alone time. The “accountability thread” was born. And it worked. Her son is almost six years old now and has just started kindergarten. Safe sleep saves lives.”
Truly inspired by this kindred relationship in the middle of the night, the fact that loneliness can be togetherness through the power of social media, Safe Infant Sleep - Evidence-Based Support Group was created in 2016 so that all caregivers could benefit from the accountability thread and more. People needed answers to their sleep-related questions too. With so many products on the market and so many opinions on social media, we wanted to be a beacon in the dark for parents who needed evidence-based answers and support.
Fast forward five years and this small accountability group has grown to more than 130,000 international members, and is the largest entity of the Safe Infant Sleep nonprofit. SIS received its 501c3 designation in June of 2020 and is proudly comprised ENTIRELY of unpaid as volunteers.
Through our partnership with, and mentorship from Cribs for Kids National Infant Safe Sleep Initiative, we have made supplying cribettes to those in need one of our top missions. In the last year we have been able to donate 17 cribettes to caregivers in need.
We have created educational materials for organizations of any kind to supply to caregivers.Our main target for educational materials is OBGYN offices. Over the years it has become known to us that the majority of parents do not get safe sleep information early enough to truly prepare.
Sharing educational materials, coupled with our social media platforms, and upcoming registry proofing service we hope to help parents and caregivers navigate the world of safe sleep before the baby arrives, all the way through toddlerhood.
A month ago we wanted to gauge how members were receiving the safety information. Of the 5,405 members who participated in our poll, 69% stated they stopped an unsafe sleep practice due to the information they found on our platforms. An additional 16% said they likely would have participated in unsafe sleep practices if they had not found the information through Safe Infant Sleep.
Through the founding of the Normalize Safe Sleep Movement we have joined hands with over 30 organizations with the shared goal of showcasing ONLY safe sleep images and information.
We hope to continue improving and expand our reach to ensure every baby has a chance at safe sleep.