The Baby Sleep Info Source (or Basis Online) is a DISC outreach project to offer research evidence on infant sleep for use in policy and practice by parents and health professionals. The Basis website (www.BasisOnline.org.uk) presents research evidence about biologically normal infant sleep which we conceptualise as being the sleep of babies who are exclusively or predominantly breastfed to at least 6 months of age and cared for in a responsive manner. We do not consider sleep training methods that require leaving babies alone for sleep in the first year of life to be biologically normal. 

Originally known as the ISIS project (Infant Sleep Info Source), BASIS was launched in 2012 by Professor Helen Ball and Dr Charlotte Russell of the Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre, with advisors from La Leche League (LLL), the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI). 

The original ISIS website project was funded by a grant from the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) 'Follow-on Fund' to facilitate and support the translation of research conducted by UK and overseas researchers on issues regarding infant sleep (e.g. development, environments, safety) into an online informational resource.

Following completion of the ESRC project the Breastfeeding Network (BfN), Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM) and Lactation Consultants of Great Britain (LCGB) also volunteered to endorse Basis and provide additional expertise in reviewing and disseminating this work.

The ISIS project was awarded an ESRC ‘Celebrating Impact’ Prize for Outstanding Impact in Society in 2013, and Durham University was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2018 for the work of DISC and Basis. After six years as ISIS, Durham University funded the rebranding of ISIS to Basis (the Baby Sleep Info Source), in November 2018.

The upkeep of the Basis website is funded by income generated via conference, webinar and workshop fees.

As Basis we have co-branded guidance for parents with multiple partners including Lullaby Trust, Twins Trust, Unicef UK Baby Friendly, Public Health England, Scottish Government, and numerous overseas organisations.

We continue to write content, add and update new information to the website. Basis news is posted on our Facebook page. Please email us any comments or suggestions: basis.online@dur.ac.uk.