Description
Co-sleeping is a word associated with baby sleep, used when talking about a way to keep your baby close overnight so you can watch, listen to and be within arm's length of them. While room sharing and being close to a newborn and young infant are essential for their care, sharing a bed or having them on the same sleep surface as an adult can be dangerous.
Why shouldn’t I have my baby sleep in bed with me?
Safe sleep for infants is often referred to as the ABCs: Alone, on their back, in their own crib. The crib should be flat, and there should be no bedding or pillows around them, and no other people sharing their sleep surface.
Sharing a bed with a baby is dangerous. There have been times when tired parents have slept on top of their children, when loose bedding has wrapped around an infant, or when a baby has sunk too far into a soft mattress. Infants have tiny airways and their muscle control is undeveloped. Because of this, bedsharing can suffocate or strangle babies, and raise their risk of sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS which is a form of Sudden Unexplained Infant Death or SUID.
Instead of bed sharing, room share with your baby to keep them close but on their own sleep surface. This allows for parents to be both close and responsive to their newborn’s needs.
Learn more about same sleep and co-sleeping: https://www.chop.edu/pediatric-health-chat/is-co-sleeping-dangerous