Baby Sleep

Should my baby sleep in the bed with me? I have asked this question to myself in preparation for our baby’s arrival. In my opinion, this is not a controversial topic, it is simply an individual’s opinion based on beliefs and instinct as a parent. I know there is so much information out there and decided to research the specifics. The forms of co-sleeping, bed sharing, or the family bed is a widely discussed topic around the world. In my opinion, sleep sharing includes any sleep arrangement within arm's reach of my baby. The terms are used interchangeable but some have completely different meanings. For instance, the word “co-sleeping” could either mean the baby either sleeps in the bed with the parents, or just in the same room depending on
A number of child development specialists, psychologists, and doctors have advised against co-sleeping citing concerns about safety, sleep disruption, and independence. Besides the potential safety risks, sharing a bed with a baby sometimes prevent parents from getting a good night's sleep. Some parents find that their quality of sleep is affected by co-sleeping. For example, co-sleeping with an infant may prevent parents from getting a good night’s sleep for fear of rolling onto their infant. Pediatricians have pointed out risk factors of co-sleeping such as accidental sleep-related deaths, including suffocation. “The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has discouraged co-sleeping because it can contribute to the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) due to the possibility of the infant being rolled on, turned into a wrong position, or become entrapped by loose bedding” (Sobralske & Gruber, 2009, p 474). Sleep researcher Dr. James J. McKenna, director of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory University of Notre Dame, believes this is a real danger in only two situations: a young infant sleeping on a water-bed or a parent who is too intoxicated by alcohol or drugs to attend to a child's needs (McKenna & McDade, 2005). He has formulated a safe co-sleeping guideline to highlight areas of concern and what precautions to take. It appears that safety issues are more related to bedding and safe practices than to actual bed sharing. Because of the risks involved, both the AAP and the U.S. Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advise against bed-sharing. The AAP does recommend the practice of room-sharing without bed-sharing. Infants who co-sleep might learn to associate sleep with being close to a parent in the parent's bed, which can become a problem at naptime or when the baby needs to go to sleep before the parent is ready. One study conducted in Southern California showed 42% of mothers and 47% of fathers who chose not