When is Co Sleeping Safe for my Baby?

For parents wondering when is co sleeping safe?, there are many factors that need to be considered. 

Here’s the truth: there are many different sleep practices that often get grouped under the “co-sleeping” umbrella. 

And while some—like enjoying the benefits of a bedside cosleeper—offer an ASTM, TÜV, and Confidence in Textiles certified-safe solution for helping baby catch some rest while sleeping by your side, other common “co sleeping” practices don’t offer the same safety guarantee. 

“Bed sharing,” for instance, references the practice of inviting a baby into your own bed to sleep during the night. Though bed sharing is often considered one form of co-sleeping, there are key safety differences between the two. 

BED SHARING: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SAFETY AND THE QUESTION WHEN IS CO SLEEPING SAFE? 

The American Academy of Pediatrics knows that keeping your baby close during the first year of their life carries a whole host of benefits (like making nighttime nursing a breeze and helping you easily—and quickly!—respond to every crisis call).

That’s why they recommend room sharing with baby for at least the first 6 months of their life, and ideally through the first year. 

But in the eyes of the AAP, room sharing is not the same as bed-sharing. 

While bed-sharing with 6 month-old or younger babies can carry risks—like concerns about comfy bedding, soft objects, or any other pillowy or quilted materials causing harm—room sharing does not create these same concerns. 

When you room share, you offer baby the firm, made-just-for-them sleep space they need to feel comfortable, cozy, and safe all night long. 

You get to enjoy the adult mattress and oh-so-plush bedding you’ve come to love, while giving baby a sleeping space all their own that is perfectly designed to support them and keep them safe. 

Because you’re sharing a space rather than sharing a bed, you can room share with baby from the first moment they come home from the hospital. 

But bed-sharing with 6 month-old or younger babies is not as easily recommended since baby has yet to learn the escape artist skills they need to untangle themselves from any soft fabrics that come their way. (Those escape artist skills will come one day! But not for a while down the road.)

That means that you can feel confident practicing forms of co-sleeping that give baby a sleeping space that’s made just for them from the moment they come home from the hospital. 

But you should take a second safety glance before practicing any co sleeping methods (like bed-sharing with 6 month-old or younger babies) that encourage baby to sleep in a space that isn’t specially designed just for them, but is designed with your own adult comforts in mind. 

HOW TO CO-SLEEP SAFELY 

Luckily, it doesn’t have to be hard to co-sleep safely. 

There are certain gold-star cosleeping practices that help you get stress-free nights of sound rest while supporting your baby’s body and mind. 

Bedside sleepers deliver all the benefits of co sleeping—we’re talking more bonding time with baby, easier nighttime nursing, and boosted support for baby’s healthy physical and mental growth—while gifting you with peace of mind (which is one of the best gifts of all, can’t we agree?).

Bedside sleepers like the babybay attach snugly to the side of your own mattress, allowing you to sleep comfortably on the soft bedding you love while giving your baby a made-just-for-them sleeping space that properly supports their needs. 

That means they can enjoy the firm mattress that’s safest for them—without you having to sacrifice any of your own sleep comfort. 

The best part? Bedside co-sleepers allow you to always be within arm’s reach of your baby all through the night. That means you’ll be able to soak up all the close-by-baby benefits of cosleeping, without a single moment of stress or worry. 

WHEN IS CO-SLEEPING SAFE WITH A BEDSIDE CO-SLEEPER? 

The babybay bedside co sleeper has been lovingly designed to support your baby through nights of safe co sleeping as soon as they come home from the hospital. 

That means that the babybay will be there to support all of your co-sleeping needs from the moment that your baby is born!

And when you feel it’s the best age to transition from co-sleeping, you can be sure that your baby will be ready to get full nights of rest all on your own, with full confidence that you’re there to support them during every step of the way. 

That’s why parents that wonder when is co-sleeping safe? should keep this in mind—how you co-sleep matters when you’re trying to decide the right time to start.