Co-sleeping safety

Concern has been voiced in some circles (for instance, here and here) about the practice of co-sleeping or bed-sharing (i.e., a parent sleeping with a baby in an adult bed). In some cases, co-sleeping appears to have lead to the death of an infant. A closer look, however, shows that it is not co-sleeping per se that causes these deaths but, rather, unsafe co-sleeping practices. Not everyone is aware that there are safety precautions that must be taken before you can feel safe to sleep with your baby.

Co-sleeping does have its benefits. If you are able to co-sleep safely, it may help you sleep better with a baby who needs to nurse several times during the night. Not only this, but there is some evidence that safe co-sleeping can actualy reduce the risk of SIDS. Besides this, even if you have no intention of co-sleeping, taking the recommended co-sleeping safety preparations may still be a good idea: I never thought I would be co-sleeping myself, but almost every night from the time my son was born until he got his own room at seven months old, I ended up sleeping with him in my bed for part of the night (usually due to my falling asleep while nursing lying down).

The recommended safety precautions are as follows:

• Never sleep with baby in your bed if you're under the influence of drugs (including some prescription drugs that make your sleep heavier) or alcohol or extreme sleep deprivation
  


• Don't sleep with baby in your bed if you are obese
  


• Use a firm surface (NOT a waterbed, for example)
  


• Make sure sheets are securely fitted and keep pillows and comforters away from baby's face
  


• If the bed is raised (i.e., not a mattress on the floor), mesh guardrails should be used to keep baby from falling out
  


• Make sure there are no cracks for the baby to get stuck in (such as between the bed and the wall; a rolled-up towel may be adequate to stuff a crack)
  


• It's best to put baby between mom and the wall or guardrail, not between mom and dad, since many dads do not seem to be as sensitive to the baby's presence--and don't let a babysitter, grandparent, older sibling, etc. sleep next to baby either
  


• Don't let pets sleep in the bed with the baby
  


• Don't wear dangling jewelry or anything with long strings to bed
  


• Don't co-sleep if you are a smoker, and also avoid using strong-smelling sprays (such as deoderants, hair sprays, or perfumes) before bed.
  


• Make sure baby is dressed warmly but not too warmly, as co-sleeping comes with increased body heat
  


• Put the baby on his back, just as you would in a crib
  It is best not to leave baby unattended in an adult bed (i.e., put baby to sleep in a crib or bassinet until mom is ready to bring baby to bed with her)
  


• And of course, as Dr Sears recommends, "use common sense when sharing sleep."

If taking these precautions is too difficult for you, as an alternative, a "sidecar" or "co-sleeper" bassinet is nearly as convenient as having baby in your bed and can relieve safety concerns.

For more information about preventing SIDS, see the American SIDS Institute
For more information about co-sleeping, see Dr. Sears