Cosleeping and Your Baby

The image of a baby and parent dozing off together isn't an uncommon one. But the practice of cosleeping, or sharing a bed with your infant, is controversial in the United States. Supporters of cosleeping believe that a parent's bed is just where an infant belongs. But is it safe?

Why Do Some People Choose to Cosleep?

Cosleeping supporters believe — and some studies support their beliefs — that cosleeping:

encourages breastfeeding by making nighttime breastfeeding more convenient
makes it easier for a nursing mother to get her sleep cycle in sync with her baby's
helps babies fall asleep more easily, especially during their first few months and when they wake up in the middle of the night

helps babies get more nighttime sleep (because they awaken more frequently with shorter duration of feeds, which can add up to a greater amount of sleep throughout the night)
helps parents who are separated from their babies during the day regain the closeness with their infant that they feel they missed

But do the risks of cosleeping outweigh the benefits?

Is Cosleeping Safe?

Despite the possible pros, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents not to place their infants to sleep in adult beds, stating that the practice puts babies at risk of suffocation and strangulation. And the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) agrees.

Cosleeping is a widespread practice in many non-Western cultures. However, differences in mattresses, bedding, and other cultural practices may account for the lower risk in these countries as compared with the United States.

According to the CPSC, at least 515 deaths were linked to infants and toddlers under 2 years of age sleeping in adult beds from January 1990 to December 1997:

121 of the deaths were attributed to a parent, caregiver, or sibling rolling on top of or against a baby while sleeping

more than 75% of the deaths involved infants younger than 3 months old

Cosleeping advocates say it isn't inherently dangerous and that the CPSC went too far in recommending that parents never sleep with children under 2 years of age. According to supporters of cosleeping, parents won't roll over onto a baby because they're conscious of the baby's presence — even during sleep.

Those who should not cosleep with an infant, however, include:

other children — particularly toddlers — because they might not be aware of the baby's presence

parents who are under the influence of alcohol or any drug because that could diminish their awareness of the baby

parents who smoke because the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is greater
But can cosleeping cause SIDS? The connection between cosleeping and SIDS is unclear and research is ongoing. Some cosleeping researchers have suggested that it can reduce the risk of SIDS because cosleeping parents and babies tend to wake up more often throughout the night. However, the AAP reports that some studies suggest that, under certain conditions, cosleeping may increase the risk of SIDS, especially cosleeping environments involving mothers who smoke.

CPSC also reported more than 100 infant deaths between January 1999 and December 2001 attributable to hidden hazards for babies on adult beds, including:
suffocation when an infant gets trapped or wedged between a mattress and headboard, wall, or other object
suffocation resulting from a baby being face-down on a waterbed, a regular mattress, or on soft bedding such as pillows, blankets, or quilts
strangulation in a bed frame that allows part of an infant's body to pass through an area while trapping the baby's head

In addition to the potential safety risks, sharing a bed with a baby can sometimes prevent parents from getting a good night's sleep. And infants who cosleep can learn to associate sleep with being close to a parent in the parent's bed, which may become a problem at naptime or when the infant needs to go to sleep before the parent is ready.
Making Cosleeping as Safe as Possible

If you do choose to share your bed with your baby, make sure to follow these precautions:

Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep to reduce the risk of SIDS.


Always leave your child's head uncovered while sleeping.


Make sure your bed's headboard and footboard don't have openings or cutouts that could trap your baby's head.


Make sure your mattress fits snugly in the bed frame so that your baby won't become trapped in between the frame and the mattress.


Don't place a baby to sleep in an adult bed alone.


Don't use pillows, comforters, quilts, and other soft or plush items on the bed.


Don't drink alcohol or use medications or drugs that may keep you from waking and may cause you to roll over onto, and therefore suffocate, your baby.


Don't place your bed near draperies or blinds where your child could be strangled by cords.
Transitioning Out of the Parent's Bed

Most medical experts say the safest place to put an infant to sleep is in a crib that meets current standards and has no soft bedding. But if you've been cosleeping with your little one and would like to stop, talk to your doctor about making a plan for when your baby will sleep in a crib.

Transitioning to the crib by 6 months is usually easier — for both parents and baby — before the cosleeping habit is ingrained and other developmental issues (such as separation anxiety) come into play. Eventually, though, the cosleeping routine will likely be broken at some point, either naturally because the child wants to or by the parents' choice.

But there are ways that you can still keep your little one close by, just not in your bed. You could:

Put a bassinet, play yard, or crib next to your bed. This can help you maintain that desired closeness, which can be especially important if you're breastfeeding. The AAP says that having an infant sleep in a separate crib, bassinet, or play yard in the same room as the mother reduces the risk of SIDS.
Buy a device that looks like a bassinet or play yard minus one side, which attaches to your bed to allow you to be next to each other while eliminating the possibility of rolling over onto your infant.

Of course, where your child sleeps — whether it's in your bed or a crib — is a personal decision. As you're weighing the pros and cons, talk to your child's doctor about the risks, possible personal benefits, and your family's own sleeping arrangements.

Insomnia: How to Get a Good Night's Sleep

What causes insomnia?
Insomnia is the body's way of saying that something isn't right. Things that may cause insomnia include stress, too much caffeine, depression, changes in work shifts, and pain from medical problems, such as arthritis.

Many people have insomnia. People who have insomnia may not be able to fall asleep. They may wake up during the night and not be able to fall back asleep, or they may wake up too early in the morning.

Is insomnia a serious problem?
It's not really a serious problem for your health, but it can make you feel tired, depressed and irritable. It can also make it hard to concentrate during the day.

How much sleep do I need?
Most adults need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. You know you're getting enough sleep if you don't feel sleepy during the day. The amount of sleep you need stays about the same throughout adulthood. However, sleep patterns may change with age. For example, older people may sleep less at night and take naps during the day.

What can my doctor do to find out why I'm not sleeping?
Your family doctor may ask you and your bed partner some questions about your sleep habits (such as when you go to bed and when you get up), any medicine you take, and the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink. Your doctor may also ask if you smoke.

Other questions may include how long you've been having insomnia, if you have any pain (such as from arthritis), and if you snore while you sleep. Your doctor may also ask about events or problems in your life that may be upsetting you and making it hard for you to sleep.

What is a sleep diary?
If the cause of your insomnia is not clear, your doctor may suggest that you fill out a sleep diary. The diary will help you keep track of when you go to bed, how long you lie in bed before falling asleep, how often you wake during the night, when you get up in the morning and how well you sleep. A sleep diary may help you and your doctor identify patterns and conditions that may be affecting your sleep.

How is insomnia treated?
The treatment of insomnia can be simple. Often, once the problem that's causing the insomnia is taken care of, the insomnia goes away. The key is to find out what's causing the insomnia so that it can be dealt with directly. Simply making a few changes in their sleep habits helps many people.

What can I do to improve my sleep habits?
Here are some things you can do to help you sleep better:
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends, even if you didn't get enough sleep. This will help train your body to sleep at night.
Develop a bedtime routine. Do the same thing every night before going to sleep. For example, take a warm bath and then read for 10 minutes every night before going to bed. Soon you'll connect these activities with sleeping, and doing them will help make you sleepy.
Use the bedroom only for sleeping or having sex. Don't eat, talk on the phone or watch TV while you're in bed.
Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark. If noise is a problem, use a fan to mask the noise or use ear plugs. If you must sleep during the day, hang dark blinds over the windows or wear an eye mask.
If you're still awake after trying to fall asleep for 30 minutes, get up and go to another room. Sit quietly for about 20 minutes before going back to bed. Do this as many times as you need to until you can fall asleep.

Will sleeping pills help?
Sleeping pills can help in some cases, but they are not a cure for insomnia. They're only a temporary form of relief. They're best used for only a few days. Regular use can lead to rebound insomnia. This occurs when a person quits taking sleeping pills and his or her insomnia comes back.

Sleeping pills can be unsafe to use if you have certain health problems. Ask your doctor if sleeping pills would be helpful for you.

Tips to help you sleep:

Avoid or limit your use of caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate), decongestants, alcohol and tobacco.

Exercise more often, but don't exercise within a few hours before going to bed.
Learn to reduce or manage the stress in your life.
Don't lie in bed worrying about things. Set aside another time just for worrying. For example, spend 30 minutes after dinner writing down what's worrying you and what you can do about it.

Try eating a light snack before going to bed, but don't eat too much right before bedtime. A glass of warm milk or some cheese and crackers may be all you need.
Don't nap during the day if naps seem to make your insomnia worse.