Co-sleeping: what are the safety rules?
Room-sharing is recommended, but bed-sharing carries specific risks. Here's what health organizations actually say.
Two things need to be distinguished: room-sharing, where baby sleeps in their own sleep space but in the same room as parents, and bed-sharing, where baby sleeps in the same bed as adults. Room-sharing is recommended by most health organizations for at least the first 6 months, as it's linked to a lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Bed-sharing, on the other hand, is associated with a higher risk of SIDS and suffocation, especially before 4 months of age, in premature or low-birth-weight babies, and when the bed has soft bedding, pillows, or blankets. That risk also rises sharply if an adult has used alcohol, drugs, certain sedating medications, or smokes.
Log naps and nights, and find tips adapted to their age.
Download the app for free✨ Free to download — on phone, tablet and computer.
If a family chooses to bed-share anyway, several organizations recommend, at minimum: a firm, flat mattress with no gaps baby could get trapped in, no soft bedding near their head, baby placed on their back, no other children or pets in the bed, and never sleeping together on a sofa or armchair, where risk is especially high.
In all cases, the best-established way to lower SIDS risk remains placing baby on their back, in their own firm sleep space free of soft objects, for the first 6 to 12 months — whether that's a separate crib or, as some families choose, a bedside sleeper attached to the parental bed and designed for that purpose.
Sources
Photo: Unsplash
This information is general and does not replace advice from your healthcare professional (doctor, midwife, nurse, pharmacist). Every situation is unique: always check with them before making a decision. In an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency services.
