25% of parents owned up to putting their babies to bed on their stomachs in a recent Babytalk survey, even though it's a known risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Why? Many said that their babies sleep better on their bellies. Trust us, we know how it is when your tot won't nod off and you're beat -- but this is one rule that's not worth breaking. The SIDS rate has dropped by more than half since the Back to Sleep Campaign began, says pediatrician John Kattwinkel, M.D. The message: Until she's 4 to 6 months old, always put your child to sleep on her back (SIDS risk peaks between 2 and 4 months of age). Our survey respondents say these safer tricks work best at snooze time: 69% rocking, 64% pacifiers, 59% swaddling, 54% white noise, 29% a sleep-training method (after 4 months).

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