Why New Messaging?
For over a decade, the P.E.P.E. framework guided safe sleep advice in Aotearoa. But whānau told us the messages often felt clinical, disconnected, and didn’t reflect real-life experiences - especially for Māori whānau, pāpā, and wider whānau.
In 2025, Hāpai Te Hauora worked with whānau through regional wānanga, alongside researchers, midwives, Pacific health professionals and our Expert Advisory Group. Together, we developed new Foundations for Safe Sleep that are practical, judgement-free, and culturally grounded.
These foundations reflect whānau aspirations, affirm cultural identity, and put collective responsibility at the centre of keeping pēpi safe.
Face up, Face clear
Pēpi needs their own flat, firm bed like a wahakura, Baby-pod, bassinet or cot.
- Always place pēpi on their back for every sleep.
- Ensure pēpi’s face is not covered by blankets, pillows, or soft items.
Firm & Flat
Always place pēpi on their back, with no pillows, toys or loose blankets.
- Pēpi should sleep on a flat, firm surface, with firm sides, made for pēpi — like a wahakura, baby pod, baby cot or bassinette.
- Avoid anything that isn’t made for baby sleep e.g. couches, chairs, pillows, folded duvets, baby slings/wraps that bring baby’s chin to chest during sleep.
- Be careful with second hand baby beds (bassinettes, cots), check for broken parts, repairs may be needed.
Free
Pēpi is safest and well when they are in an environment that supports breastfeeding, and is smoke, vape, alcohol, drug and harm free.
- Smoking in pregnancy is a huge risk for Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI), and the risk is increased by 6 times.
- Bedsharing where there was smoking in pregnancy increases the risk by 32 times.
- The best safe sleep space for your pēpi is their own bed, in a cot, bassinet or a wahakura, baby pod on a flat surface.
- Using a wahakura or baby-pods can keep pēpi safe while still being placed in the parents’ bed.
- Pēpi are safest when the adults around them are alcohol-free and drug-free at sleep time. Being fully alert helps us respond quickly if they stir or need support
- Keep pēpi space free from anything that makes it hard to breathe, like loose blankets, soft toys, pillows, or cords from curtains or blinds.
- Keep pēpi safest with gentle hands and free from harm.
- Smoke-free and vape-free whānau and sleep spaces are vital. Pēpi that are exposed to smoke and vape are less able to wake up or breathe properly in their sleep.
Let's ensure our pēpi are free to thrive
Fathers & Family
All the whānau help keep pēpi safe during sleep.
Safe sleep is a shared responsibility that involves whānau and carers supporting pēpi to sleep safely.
Whānau: pāpā, siblings, nannies, aunties, uncles, cousins
Community: e.g. Te Kohanga Reo, Early Childhood centres and babysitters etc.
- Fathers, partners and whānau play a vital role in supporting māmā (e.g. night /day care, settling pēpi, household chores).
- Ensure a smokefree environment for pēpi: encourage fathers, partners, whānau to smoke outside and away from baby. Offer Stop Smoking support services, support them to quit smoking, achieve smokefree practices and inform whānau.
- Ensure fathers, partners and whānau encourage breastfeeding as a protective factor.
Bedsharing is not recommended
If bed sharing happens, pēpi should always be in their own safe sleep space where the Foundations for Sleep apply.
Bed sharing is especially dangerous if:
- Māmā smoked while pregnant
- Anyone has been smoking, vaping, drinking or using drugs
- Parents or Whānau are very tired
- Pēpi was born early or small (under 2500 grams at birth)
- Pēpi is unwell