children s health issues
Sleeping Behaviors in Newborns and Infants
Co sleeping
Co-sleeping is when a parent and infant sleep close to one another so as to be able to see, hear, and/or touch one another. Co-sleeping arrangements can include Bed-sharing (the infant sleeps in the same bed as the parent) Room-sharing (the infant sleeps in a different bed but in the same room as the parent) Bed-sharing between parents and infants is common but controversial. There are often cultural and personal reasons why parents choose to bed-share, including convenience for feeding, bonding, believing their own watchfulness is the only way to keep their infant safe, and believing that bed-sharing allows them to continue watchfulness even while sleeping. However, bed-sharing has been associated with an increased risk of SIDS and may result in injury or death because infants may become suffocated, strangled, or trapped. Room-sharing without bed-sharing still allows parents to be physically close to their infant for ease of feeding and monitoring, is safer than bed-sharing or solitary sleeping (the infant sleeps in a separate room), and is associated with a decreased risk of SIDS. For these reasons, doctors recommend room-sharing without bed-sharing as the preferred sleeping arrangement for parents and infants in the first few months of life. 