It's a tradition in mystical Judaism (Kabbalah) for parents to tie a red ribbon around a leg of a crib to protect their sleeping infant from the “evil eye.”

Likewise, centuries ago, people dressed babies (usually males) in blue-colored clothing to ward off evil spirits lurking in nurseries at night.

Of course, parents today still worry about the safety of their infants during sleep; after all, about 3,500 babies die from sleep-related issues annually in the U.S.

The problem is that it can be hard to know what offers comfort to the baby and what may be risky.

Some parents want to surround their baby with soft blankets, plush pillows, and stuffed animals. Others favor keeping their baby beside them in bed.

Both of these approaches put an infant at risk for suffocation, the leading cause of injury and death in infants less than a year old, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics.

Soft bedding is linked to 69% of such accidents, usually in an adult bed. Meanwhile, 19% of accidents come from a parent or sibling rolling over on the infant.

There are other hazards too. The Consumer Products Safety Commission recently recalled all models of the Kids II and Fisher-Price Rock N' Play inclined sleepers because of suffocation deaths caused by babies rolling from their back to their stomach.

Babies should sleep flat on their backs in your room, but not on your mattress. Cribs should contain a firm mattress and fitted sheet — and nothing more. Keep babies warm with well-fitting jammies.

That way, you'll all sleep safe and sound.