How and When to Start Co-Sleeping

The safest way to co-sleep is room-sharing with your baby on a firm, separate surface attached to your bed. Full bed-sharing can be done safely if you follow certain precautions carefully.

Here is Giftgown’s micro-blog on safe co-sleeping with your baby! Establishing a good sleep schedule early is great for your child’s health and their growing body! So, we’ve collected our best tips on sleeping close to your new bundle of joy (and also midnight cries for milk).

Consider a “Hybrid” Approach

Some parents room-share but not bed-share for the first 6 months. Before 6 months, your baby’s neck muscles are not developed enough to sleep in a traditional bed. Sleeping close by in their crib minimizes suffocation risk.  With the bassinet or crib next to the bed, nighttime feeding is easier and safer.

• Bed-sharing: Baby sleeps in your bed, but never on a couch, armchair, or soft surface—these are high-risk for suffocation.
• Sidecar crib or bedside bassinet: Baby has their own sleep surface attached to or next to your bed. This is the safest way to have your baby close while still preventing accidents.

Safe Sleep Environment

• Your crib will need a firm mattress with tight-fitting sheets. The same should be true of your bed, when you begin co-sleeping.
• Avoid waterbeds, soft mattresses, or saggy surfaces.
• No pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals near the baby.
• Keep the baby on their back to sleep, even when you’re in bed with them

Positioning

• Place the baby next to you, not between you and the wall.
• Keep pillows away from the baby’s head.
• If you roll during sleep, make sure baby can’t fall off the bed—use bed rails or place the mattress on the floor if needed.

Avoid Risk Factors

• No smoking in the room.
• No alcohol, drugs, or sedating medications for anyone sharing the bed.
• Avoid overheating: dress baby in a wearable sleep sack instead of sharing your blankets.
• No gaps between the mattress and wall or furniture where your baby could fall.