Planning guide · Added November 6, 2026

Baby Sleep Gear: What You Need and When

Before baby arrives, set up one suitable sleep space. A bassinet is optional. A crib or a play yard designed for infant sleep can serve from the start if it fits your room and you use it as directed.

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Before birth: set up one sleep space

Choose a crib, bassinet or play yard that meets current federal safety standards and is appropriate for infant sleep. Plan to share your room with baby on their own sleep surface for at least the first six months, as the AAP recommends. If a crib or Pack ’n Play fits beside your bed and the model is approved for that use, you can start there and skip buying a separate bassinet.

The early months: a bassinet is a convenience

A bassinet can be useful if you want a compact bedside setup or have little room to spare. Its use is short. If you choose a play yard with a raised bassinet insert, read the limits for that insert and for the main play yard separately. The changing attachment has a different purpose.

When baby outgrows the bassinet: change the sleep surface

Follow the first applicable weight or developmental limit in the product manual. Move to a suitable crib or the approved main sleep level of a play yard. You can make that transition in your room. Outgrowing a bassinet and moving to the nursery are separate decisions.

Later: set up the nursery for everyday sleep

A full-size crib is a practical long-term nursery setup. If you started with a crib in your room, you can use that same crib in the nursery when you’re ready to move rooms. If you started with a play yard, plan the crib purchase around your space and the play yard’s limits. A second sleep space can be useful for travel or another caregiver’s home.

At every stage: keep the sleep space simple

Place baby on their back on a firm, flat, level sleep surface with a fitted sheet that matches the mattress or pad. Keep the space clear of pillows, loose blankets, bumpers and toys. Use the mattress or pad specified for that model and follow its setup instructions.

Read the AAP safe sleep guidance ↗

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