Co-sleeping, or sleep sharing, refers to the practice of sharing a bed or room with your infant, toddler or child. Proponents of sleep sharing tout a number of medical and developmental benefits, including increased self-esteem and healthier sleep patterns, but the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission asserts that dangerous co-sleeping habits could lead to an increased risk of suffocation or SIDS among children in bed-sharing families.
History
Long before the regular use of cribs, families routinely shared their beds with babies and children. Wealthier families might use infant cradles or trundle beds to keep their babies contained, but poorer families often lacked the space and money for these luxuries.
Although strongly discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), co-sleeping remains the norm in many countries throughout the world, according to the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. Pediatrician and long-term sleep-sharing advocate Dr. William Sears recommends sleep sharing due to its potential developmental benefits for infants.
Significance
Co-sleeping advocates, such as Dr. Sears and anthropologist Dr. James McKenna, director of the University of Notre Dame's Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory, assert that co-sleeping helps babies' physical and emotional development. According to Dr. McKenna's research, co-sleeping babies cry less--allowing them to devote more energy toward growth and the development of motor skills. Sears suggests co-sleeping benefits infants' long-term development by providing a more secure attachment to their parents, leading to increased self-esteem and confidence as they grow older.
Considerations
Despite the numerous benefits of co-sleeping cited by some experts, your family needs to decide whether it fits your lifestyle. The March of Dimes cautions that sleep sharing might lead to decreased sleep for parents and babies. Dr. Mary L. Gavin of KidsHealth.org further cautions that co-sleeping might negatively impact your infant's development of good sleep habits--making it difficult to get her to sleep at naptime and before you also go to bed.
Misconceptions
Not all co-sleeping involves baby sharing the same bed as his parents. You can reap many of the developmental benefits of co-sleeping, including its potential protection against SIDS and easier breastfeeding, by placing your baby's crib in your room or investing in a co-sleeper bassinet that attaches to the side of your bed.
Prevention/Solution
If you decide to try co-sleeping some or part of the time, ensure your baby gains some of its developmental benefits while avoiding many of the dangers involved in the arrangement by practicing safe co-sleeping habits. According to the CPSC, many of the deaths attributed from co-sleeping occurred as a result of the baby becoming trapped or wedged against the wall, suffocated by heavy blankets or pillows, or overlaid by a parent, caregiver or sibling. Always place your baby on his back to sleep, and remove all pillows, stuffed animals and extra bedding from your bed. Never let older siblings co-sleep with your infant, and avoid co-sleeping after drinking alcohol or taking medication that makes you drowsy or extremely tired.
