but it is actually much safer than
having your baby sleep in a crib.
Research shows that infants who sleep in a crib
are twice as likely to suffer a sleep
related fatality (including SIDS) than infants
who sleep in bed with their parents.
~ Mothering Magazine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cosleeping or sleepsharing is safe
when parents are educated on how to
correctly cosleep with their children.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some ways to educate parents on
how to sleep safely with their baby:
1. Take precautions to prevent baby from rolling out of bed, even
though it is unlikely when baby is sleeping next to mother. Like
heat-seeking missiles, babies automatically gravitate toward a warm
body. Yet, to be safe, place baby between mother and a guardrail or
push the mattress flush against the wall and position baby between
mother and the wall. Guardrails enclosed with plastic mesh are safer
than those with slats, which can entrap baby's limbs or head. Be
sure the guardrail is flush against the mattress so there is no crevice
that baby could sink into.
2. Place baby adjacent to mother, rather than between mother and father. Mothers we have interviewed on the subject of sharing sleep feel they are so physically and mentally aware of their baby's presence even while sleeping, that it's extremely unlikely they would roll over onto their baby. Some fathers, on the other hand, may not enjoy the same sensitivity of baby's presence while asleep; so it is possible they might roll over on or throw out an arm onto baby. After a few months of sleep-sharing, most dads seem to develop a keen awareness of their baby's presence.
3. Place baby to sleep on his back.
4. Use a large bed, preferably a queen-size or king-size. A king-size bed may wind up being your most useful piece of "baby furniture." If you only have a cozy double bed, use the money that you would ordinarily spend on a fancy crib and other less necessary baby furniture and treat yourselves to a safe and comfortable king-size bed.
5. Some parents and babies sleep better if baby is still in touching and hearing distance, but not in the same bed. For them, a bedside co-sleeper is a safe option.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Parents should use common sense when sharing sleep.
Anything that could cause you to sleep more soundly than usual or that alters your sleep patterns can affect your baby's safety. Nearly all the highly suspected (but seldom proven) cases of fatal "overlying" I could find in the literature could have been avoided if parents had observed common sense sleeping practices.
The bottom line is that many parents share sleep with their babies. It can be done safely if the proper precautions are observed. The question shouldn't be "is it safe to sleep with my baby?", but rather "how can I sleep with my baby safely?" The data on the incidence of SIDS in a bed versus a crib must be examined before the medical community can make a judgment on sleep safety in a bed.
Excerpt from AskDrSears.com.
Learn more about cosleeping from AskDrSears.com.
Behavioral Sleep Laboratory
at the
University of Notre Dame
Dr. McKenna is considered to be the authority on co-sleeping and this site is full of useful info for every parent who shares sleep with their children.
Attachment Parenting Intl.
Ask Dr. Sears
Dr. McKenna
~ You are under the influence of any drug (such as alcohol or tranquilizing medications) that diminishes your sensitivity to your baby's presence. If you are drunk or drugged, these chemicals lessen your arousability from sleep.
~ You are extremely obese. Obesity itself may cause sleep apnea in the mother, in addition to the smothering danger of pendulous breasts and large fat rolls.
~ You are exhausted from sleep deprivation. This lessens your awareness of your baby and your arousability from sleep.
~ You are breastfeeding a baby on a cushiony surface, such as a waterbed or couch. An exhausted mother could fall asleep breastfeeding and roll over on the baby.
~ You are the child's baby-sitter. A baby-sitter's awareness and arousability is unlikely to be as acute as a mother's.
More DON'Ts
~ Don't allow older siblings to sleep with a baby under nine months. Sleeping children do not have the same awareness of tiny babies as do parents, and too small or too crowded a bed space is an unsafe sleeping arrangement for a tiny baby.
~ Don't fall asleep with baby on a couch. Baby may get wedged between the back of the couch and the larger person's body, or baby's head may become buried in cushion crevices or soft cushions.
~ Do not sleep with baby on a free-floating, wavy waterbed or similar "sinky" surface in which baby could suffocate.
~ Don't overheat or overbundle baby. Be particularly aware of overbundling if baby is sleeping with a parent. Other warm bodies are an added heat source.
~ Don't wear lingerie with string ties longer than eight inches. Ditto for dangling jewelry. Baby may get caught in these entrapments.
~ Avoid pungent hair sprays, deodorants, and perfumes. Not only will these camouflage the natural maternal smells that baby is used to and attracted to, but foreign odors may irritate and clog baby's tiny nasal passages. Reserve these enticements for sleeping alone with your spouse.
Excerpt from AskDrSears.com.
Learn more about cosleeping from AskDrSears.com.
Nighttime Parenting
by Dr. Sears
Good Nights: The Happy Parents' Guide to the Family Bed (and a Peaceful Night's Sleep!)
By Maria Goodavage, Jay Gordon
Three in a Bed : The Benefits of Sharing Your Bed With Your Baby
By Deborah Jackson
The Family Bed
By Tine Thevenin
Sids: A Parent's Guide to Understanding and Preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
By William Sears
NPCC's web site is intended to help parents become better informed about natural parenting, natural childbirth and natural living. The information presented in this site gives general advice on parenting and health care.
Always consult your doctor for your individual needs.
