Where Should Your Newborn Sleep? Same Bed Or The Same Room?

The AAP recommends infants and parents sleep in the same room, for at least the first six months. However, sleeping in the same bed as the baby can be dangerous. Hence, it’s safest for your baby to share a room with you, sleeping in a cot next to your bed, until they turn at least 6 months old. Read on to see more about where should your newborn sleep and the possible risks.

Separate Beds For Babies

Since human babies are one of the most dependent creatures on Earth, they have a special need for contact. This includes feeling the “presence” of a caregiver, which is particularly a mother. That can include a mother’s smell, her breath, and her body heat.

They are particularly contact-seekers when a mother is breastfeeding, something the AAP does strongly recommend.

While sleeping setups have changed over human history with the introduction of beds, blankets, and temperature-controlled homes, the basic biological need is still there. Babies must be close to their caregivers when they are sleeping.

Hence, it isn’t necessary to put a baby down in a bed or separate room. You can place them in a bassinet or stroller near you.

Sleeping In the Same Room

Since the emphasis is on safety, parents in the same room have more opportunities to take care of a baby’s needs. When babies sleep in different rooms they tend to sleep longer and deeper. However, that isn’t necessarily healthy and may be a contributor to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

According to the AAP, the baby’s bed should not have crib bumpers, soft toys, blankets, or pillows. Additionally, the baby should be placed on his or her back in a bed equipped with a tight-fitting sheet.

However,  the AAP insists that the sleeping surface be separate from the parent’s accommodations. Babies in the same bed can accidentally suffocate from a loose sheet, blanket or pillow. This is particularly valid for premature babies or babies under four months of age.

Mothers who are breastfeeding can get bedside sleepers that are adjacent to the mother’s bed.

Factors That Increase Co-Sleeping Risks

Co-sleeping always increases the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death In Infants (SUDI) including fatal sleeping accidents and SIDS as well.

Here are some co-sleeping risks which can be higher in these situations:

• You or your partner uses alcohol, drugs or any type of sedative medication that makes you feel less aware or causes heavy sleep. This includes prescription medication as well.
• You’re exhausted or you’re unwell.
• You or your partner smoke.
• Your baby is not well.
• Your baby is under three months old or was premature or smaller than most babies at birth.

Hence, if you are wondering where your newborn should sleep, the answer is in a separate bed but in the same room as you. This is appropriate for babies under one year old as they are breastfeeding and still developing a sleep pattern which is regular to that of adults.

Cover image credit – Canva