Co-Sleeping with Your Baby

Putting your baby to sleep can be a difficult task especially if your young one is adamant that they want to stay awake. Some families opt for co-sleeping, an easier option if the mother is breastfeeding. Co-sleeping, or sharing a bed with your baby, is favoured by some parents but disliked by others.

There benefits of co-sleeping are as follows:

Benefits of co-sleeping

• Co-sleeping can help mothers to breastfeed especially if they are having to wake up to feed their baby
• Babies tend to fall asleep with little trouble if they are in the same bed
• It can help your baby to sleep throughout the night
• This can add another level of bonding between mother and baby
• Parents who work all day and are away from their kids may prefer co-sleeping to spend extra time with their baby

Make sure your baby is safe

Although co-sleeping has its benefits parents have to be aware of safety issues related to co-sleeping. It is important to have safety measures implemented in order to ensure your baby is not at risk of suffocation or being overheated.

The following safety measures can help keep your baby safe:

• Use light bedding or blankets if you feel your child may become overheated. Babies under the age of one are at a greater risk of suffocation or overheating if too much bedding is used.
• Do not place your baby on a pillow to sleep as this can lead to smothering or suffocation
• Never leave your baby alone in the bed while you pop out to eh toilet as they could fall. Make use of a baby rail or alternatively put your baby in the cot where they are safe if you need to leave the room.
• Never sleep on a waterbed with your baby as they could become trapped due to the bed’s softness. Your baby needs to be placed on a firm mattress to ensure a greater level of safety.
• Do not allow toddlers to sleep next to your baby as there is the chance they may roll over onto them and cause suffocation.
• Never sleep on a sofa with your baby as there is the increased risk of falling.

When is co-sleeping not recommended?

• If your baby was born prematurely it would be unsafe to co-sleep. This is due to the fact that premature babies are at great risk.
• If you smoke it is not recommended to co-sleep as it increases the risk of cot death.
• If you or your partner has consumed alcohol it is not recommended to sleep with your baby. This is because you are less aware of your surroundings and may forget your baby is there.
• If you suffer from sleeping problems that cause extreme fatigue it is not recommended to sleep with your baby due to the risk of suffocation.