Guides · Newborn kit · Sleep space
How do I do feet-to-foot with a cellular blanket in a cot?
What does feet-to-foot mean in a UK cot?
NHS Start for Life says: if you use blankets instead of a sleeping bag, lie the baby on their back with feet nearest the foot of the cot or Moses basket so loose bedding cannot cover the face when they wriggle. The NHS SIDS page repeats feet-to-foot for a cot, Moses basket or pram. The Lullaby Trust uses the same picture: feet right at the bottom so the baby cannot wriggle down under the blankets.
That empty length above the head is the point of a full-size cot. It is not unused space you fill with a folded extra blanket, a nest or a pillow.
How do I tuck a cellular blanket no higher than the shoulders?
NHS Start for Life names a cellular cotton blanket because air can pass through the holes. The same page: tuck it firmly, no higher than the shoulders, and not doubled over. NHS SIDS leaflets used by clinical networks add the armpit line: tuck covers securely under the baby’s arms so they cannot slip over the head, using one or more layers of lightweight blankets.
- Sheet first Cover the firm, flat, waterproof mattress with a single fitted sheet. Official pages start from that surface. Do not put a quilt, nest or folded blanket under the baby.
- Feet at the foot end Place the baby on their back so the soles are against the foot of the cot (or Moses basket). The head should sit well short of the head-end rail.
- One layer to the shoulders Open the cellular blanket as a single thickness. Bring the top edge no higher than the shoulders — the NHS leaflet phrasing is under the arms — so the neck and face stay clear.
- Tuck three sides Push the spare fabric down the two long sides and the foot end, under the mattress. A loose drape across the chest is the wriggle-under risk the feet-to-foot position is meant to stop.
- Look again after they settle If the top edge has crept toward the chin or the fold has doubled on the chest, re-tuck or remove a layer. Check the chest or the back of the neck for heat, not the hands.
This page is the cellular-blanket method. Official pages also name a well-fitted baby sleeping bag as the other bedding option. They do not give a MayTally tog chart — The Lullaby Trust says it cannot publish a clothing-to-temperature table because fabrics and babies differ.
What does “not doubled over” mean?
NHS Start for Life: do not double the blanket, because that can cause overheating. The Lullaby Trust mattress page is more specific: one blanket doubled over counts as two blankets. Folding a cellular blanket in half across the baby is two layers in that count, even though you only picked up one piece of fabric.
Swipe sideways for the full table
| What you put in the cot | How NHS / Lullaby Trust count it | What the pages say to do |
|---|---|---|
| One cellular blanket, single thickness, tucked to the shoulders | One lightweight layer | NHS names this as the blanket method |
| The same blanket folded in half over the chest | Two blankets (Lullaby Trust doubled-over line) | NHS says not doubled over |
| A second lightweight blanket on top, each single thickness | Two layers | Lullaby Trust: if you need an extra blanket, keep it lightweight |
| Quilt, duvet, pillow, sheepskin, weighted blanket | Soft or bulky bedding | Both organisations tell you to keep these out for babies under 12 months |
When would I add a second lightweight blanket?
The Lullaby Trust: if the baby needs an extra blanket, make it lightweight. NHS SIDS advice uses a 16–20°C room and says to remove a layer if the skin on the chest or neck is hot or sweating. Neither page gives a centimetre or tog lookup. Feel the chest or the back of the neck. Hands and feet run cooler and are a poor guide.
A second layer still follows feet-to-foot: both pieces tucked, top edge still at the shoulders, still not a doubled fold of one blanket treated as 'just one'.
What stays out of the cot if I am using a blanket?
- Pillows, duvets and quilts — The Lullaby Trust says soft or bulky bedding has been shown to increase the risk of SIDS by three times.
- Weighted blankets, weighted swaddles, weighted sleep bags — listed on the same Lullaby Trust bedding page as products to avoid.
- Cot bumpers, loose toys, pods and nests — NHS Start for Life advises against bumpers, pillows and loose bedding; The Lullaby Trust keeps the cot clear.
- Hats indoors — NHS SIDS: remove hats and extra clothing as soon as you come indoors.
Is a cellular blanket the only official bedding option?
No. NHS Start for Life and The Lullaby Trust both name a well-fitted sleeping bag as the other method, because the baby cannot wriggle underneath it. Maker weight limits (The Lullaby Trust quotes a usual figure around 4 kg) sit on the bag’s own label. This page does not walk a sleeping-bag how-to.
In shortFeet at the foot. Cellular blanket, one thickness, tucked under the mattress on three sides, top edge at the shoulders or under the arms. A fold in half is two layers. Soft, bulky or weighted bedding stays out.
Questions parents ask
- Can I use a receiving blanket the same way?
- Official UK pages name a cellular cotton blanket, not a receiving blanket. A close-weave or fleece throw is closer to the bulky bedding those pages tell you to skip. If the fabric has no cellular holes and cannot be tucked firmly to the shoulders, it is not the NHS blanket method.
- Should the blanket go under the baby’s arms or only to the shoulders?
- NHS Start for Life says no higher than the shoulders. NHS SIDS leaflets say tuck covers securely under the arms. Use both lines: the top edge sits at shoulder height and is held there by the tuck, so it cannot ride up over the face.
- Does feet-to-foot still apply in a Moses basket?
- Yes. NHS Start for Life and The Lullaby Trust both name cot or Moses basket for the same position. The basket is shorter, so there is less spare length, but the feet still go at the foot end and the tuck still stops at the shoulders.
- Can I put the blanket over a sleeping bag as well?
- That stacks two official methods. Official pages present blanket or sleeping bag, not both as a default. Extra layers raise the overheating risk those pages are written to cut. If a clinician has given you different instructions, follow those.
Sources
Official pages first. If this page and the official page disagree, the official page wins.
- NHS Start for Life — Baby safer sleep advice — checked 10 September 2026
- NHS — Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) — checked 10 September 2026
- NHS South East Clinical Networks — Reduce the risk of SIDS (feet-to-foot leaflet wording) — checked 10 September 2026
- The Lullaby Trust — Mattresses and bedding — checked 10 September 2026
This is information, not a guarantee of any payment, and not medical, legal or product-safety advice for your home. Prices and rules change; figures carry the date they were checked. Recall status comes from official records only — a product we cannot find is not a safety all-clear. Tell us if we got a fact wrong.