API's Safe Sleep Guidelines
What you need to know to meet your infant's night-time needs
API recommends that infants sleep in the same room with one or both parents for at least the first six months of life. There are many benefits - for parents and children - to co-sleeping in this manner.
When co-sleeping, the baby experiences more periods of light sleep that have proven to be beneficial to stabilizing heart rates, breathing patterns, and a decreased risk of SIDS. Baby feels warm and secure, and therefore he cries less. Parents report that they get more sleep with fewer interruptions. They don't need to get up to attend to baby's needs, which prevents parents from having to wake up fully during feedings. Mothers worry less about their infants at night when they can reach out and touch the baby, and both parents develop a closer bond with the baby.
In addition to these benefits, co-sleeping also enhances the breastfeeding and attachment relationships. Breastfeeding is better established through frequent nursing. Co-sleeping improves mother's milk supply, increases the number of feedings, and increases the duration of the breastfeeding relationship. Studies have shown that breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS, and offers a protective benefit against many life-long health problems.
What is Co-Sleeping?
Many terms related to infant sleep are used interchangeably, which can create confusion. API uses the following definitions:
- Co-sleeping refers to sleeping in "close proximity," which means the child is on a separate sleep surface in the same room as the parents. This includes the use of a bassinet, "co-sleeper," or "sidecar," which is a crib-like bed with only three walls, with the fourth side remaining open and pushed up against the parents' bed. For the older child, this can include sleeping in a separate bed in the same room as the parents, or two or more older siblings sleeping together in a separate room.
- Bed-sharing, also called the "family bed," describes a sleep arrangement where the family members sleep on the same sleep surface. This practice is recommended for only for breastfeeding families using API's Safe Sleep Guidelines.
Remember that there are certain situations that prevent parents from sharing sleep with their child:
- Parents who smoke should not sleep in the same room with an infant. Babies who are around smoke, even if it isn't in the bedroom, are at greater risk of SIDS.
- Parents who use alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription/over-the-counter medications that cause drowsiness should not bed-share with an infant.
- Parents who have health conditions that cause them to be difficult to rouse from sleep should not bed-share with an infant. Likewise, parents who are obese should not bed-share.
Families who choose to bed-share should :
- Breastfeed their infant. Bottlefeeding families should place their babies in a crib or co-sleeper next to the parents' bed instead of sharing the same sleep surface as the infant.
- Place baby to sleep on her back. This single action provides immense protection against SIDS.
- Place baby next to the mother, rather than between mother and father.
- Use a large bed with a mattress that fits snugly against the rail or that is flush against a wall. Choose a firm mattress, free from fluffy bedding and stuffed animals. Never place a baby on a couch, beanbag chair, fold-out couch, inflatable bed, or waterbed to sleep.
- Use safety measures such as side rails, bed extenders, and safe placement of the family bed. Fill in any crevice with a rolled-up baby blanket or towel.
- Adjust baby's clothing based on her sleeping arrangements. A baby sleeping alone in a crib needs warmer pajamas than a child who co-sleeps and gets warmth from her parents. Overheating can be dangerous to infants.
- Avoid leaving a baby unattended in an adult bed, even during naps. If parents do not have access to a crib or co-sleeper for naps, they should put their mattress on the floor away from furniture and snug against walls to avoid the danger of falls or entrapment between furniture and mattresses.
- Only primary care-givers (typically the parents) should sleep with an infant. Do not allow babysitters or older siblings to sleep with baby.
API's Principles provide more information on the importance of Nighttime Parenting.
