5 Important Tips for Safe Co-sleeping with your Baby

Importance of Co-Sleeping with your baby

 

For most of us, sleeping in close proximity to our babies is a natural instinct. This instinct is especially strong with mothers who seek the comfort of their little ones beating heart next to them.

But what exactly is co-sleeping?

Co-sleeping refers to sleeping close to your child. Co-sleeping is usually more prominently done by parents with infants where the mothers need to breastfeed the child. Co-sleeping can be done in the same bed or same room.

 

According to many experts, co-sleeping with your child is the natural way of their upbringing.

A majority of parents feel the need to co-sleep with their baby, just to keep them close or to ensure that they sleep properly.

 

Why co-sleeping with your child is important:

 

• It ensures that the parents get adequate and peaceful sleep since they are close to their child and don't worry about his/her safety.

 

• The babies get proper sleep and are not woken up by their need to nurse. When parents sleep with their baby, they can easily soothe her back to sleep before she completely wakes up.

 

• It is easier for the mother to breastfeed her baby when she is close to her. This further ensures that nightly breastfeeding maintains her milk supply.

 

• Separation anxiety is very common among parents sleeping away from their child. Co-sleeping helps eliminate separation anxiety.

 

• Products like Snuggle nest let you can reach out to your baby and check on them while having a substantial barrier in between to prevent untoward incidents.  This way you can keep the baby in your bed while ensuring their safety.

 

Things to avoid when Co-Sleeping with your baby:

 

• Avoid sleeping on the couch with your baby. Couches and sofas are too small to fit a parent and their child. Moreover, they are too high above the ground and there is always a great chance that your baby might fall or slide into one of the crevices.

 

• Do not sleep with your baby if you are a smoker. Smoking is bad not just for your health but also for the well-being for your baby.

 

• A parent who is under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any such intoxicant that might lead them to sleep deeply without much awareness of their surroundings should not sleep in the same bed as their baby. This greatly increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

 

• Any potential health hazards like long hair should be tied any dangerous objects on or around the bed should be kept at a safe place so that your baby does not get in contact with them if he/she wakes up in the middle of the night.

 

• Avoid keeping your pets in the same room as your baby. Even though many pets like cats and dogs are gentle around little kids, they won't know if their tail or fur is suffocating or causing harm to the child.
• Having other toddlers or little children on the same bed as your infant child is not a good idea either. They might not be as gentle and mindful as the pets either.

 

• Do not use overly soft mattresses if you are planning to co-sleep with your baby. Not only will this make the baby sink into the bed, but might lead to suffocation or other serious injuries. The same applies to beds in the form of comforters and cushioning.

 

• Don't speak too loudly or yell in the same room as your sleeping baby. Not only will this disturb their sleeping pattern, but will also make them cry.

 

• While warmth is good for your baby, too much of it is extremely detrimental. When you sleep with your baby, you provide them with your warmness in addition to the warmth they receive from the bedding, blanket and cushions/pillows on the bed. This cam cause overheating, which further elevates the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

 

 

5 Tips for Safe Co-Sleeping:

 

1. When co-sleeping, make sure that the baby is not wedged between parents but instead, is placed next to the mom. With the help of a cute portable sleeper, she will easily be able to gain access to the child even over the solid yet flexible side panels.
   
   
2. Baby proof your bedroom. Many parents forget to baby-proof their bedroom for safety hazards such as glassware, sharp objects and furniture corners, etc. when they bring their baby to co-sleep. Baby-proofing will ensure that your bedroom is a haven for your child, even if he/she wakes up in the middle of the night.
   
   Snuggle nest is a great baby proof product to get your little one on your bed without worries.
   
   
3. Getting a bigger bed might be the perfect solution to many of your problems, including co-sleeping with your baby. A bigger bed will ensure more space to sleep, not just for the parents, but also for the children. A bigger bed will also reduce the chances of any untoward incidents and greatly reduces the chances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
   
   
4. A major reason for many mothers to indulge in co-sleeping is because of the need to constantly breastfeed their child. So it is only natural to do it often when co-sleeping. This will make the baby sleep better, and will also help parents sleep in peace, knowing that their child is well-fed.
   
   
5. One can also opt for arrangements such as side cribs that can be attached with your bed, or opt for multiple beds in the same room all together. This will make sure that every member has their own sleeping space and parents can look after the baby too.

 

Co-sleeping is a healthy practice that just needs appropriate safeguards against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other hazards. If managed efficiently, there isn't a safer place for young ones to sleep than their parents' bedrooms.