| When practiced safely, co-sleeping – whether room sharing or bedsharing – is at least as safe, if not safer, than having an infant sleep alone in a separate room. If only public health departments would replace their fear-inducing “Don’t Sleep With Your Baby” campaigns with “How to Sleep Safely With Your Baby” campaigns!
When I was preparing to welcome my daughter, I wanted a checklist to ensure the safety of our family bed set-up. As stated by Dr. James McKenna, director of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, “While specific structural hazards of an adult bed are important, the fact that they exist means neither that they cannot be eliminated nor that all bedsharing is unsafe."
Here is a list of ten steps for eliminating structural hazards and ensuring safe co-sleeping, culled from various sources and my own experience.
- Get the biggest bed, mattress or futon possible – even if it fills up your bedroom (after all, it’s called a bedroom!). A king size bed will allow everyone to be much more comfortable.
- The surface of the bed should be firm with the sheet pulled taut, just as you would with a crib sheet. No waterbeds, fluffy down pillow-top mattress pads, etc.*
- Push the bed against at least one wall, and two walls if your room configuration allows. If bedsharing, place a sturdy bedrail along the open side of the bed. If you’re using a co-sleeper, sidecar, or separate mattress, place this flush against the adult mattress or bed.
- Placing mattresses or futons on the floor minimizes falling risks by enabling mobile babies to climb in and out of bed on their own.
- Prevent entrapment by plugging all crevices between the headboard, footboard, walls, bedrail, co-sleeper or crib sidecar (if using), etc., with firm materials.
- Use minimal covers for yourself and baby. The covers should not reach beyond an adult’s waist. This is especially important with a baby who isn’t yet mobile. No fluffy or heavy comforters, stuffed animals, or extra pillows. If dad/partner needs more covers, he can move his body down lower in the bed or have his own set of covers.*
- If bedsharing, don’t dress baby the same way you would if she were sleeping alone; mom’s body heat will provide plenty of warmth and extra clothing can cause baby to overheat.
- The best location for baby is between mom and bedrail or wall, not between mom and dad/partner or other children. This is especially true before babies are mobile.*
- Do not co-sleep if you are under the influence of alcohol, drugs (including over-the-counter drugs with sedative effects), or if you are a smoker. If drinking alcohol socially, make sure that the alcohol has enough time to pass out of your system before bedtime.
- Both parents need to consider the worst case scenario for both co-sleeping and crib sleeping and be in agreement that the sleeping arrangement you have is what you want.
* These items can be re-evaluated as a child’s mobility and agility increases, although it is always wise to be cautious.
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