bedside sleeper
Co sleeping is not a new practice. For most of recorded history, parents have ensured the safety and healthy development of their littles one by sharing a sleeping space with them. (While making breastfeeding easier and getting a more peaceful night’s rest themselves, that’s what we like to call a win-win!) But if you’re new to co sleeping—or just want a refresher on how to safely co sleep with your little one!—then there are a few co sleeping should-dos to keep in mind.
What To Understand About Co Sleeping Before We Get To the Dos and Don’ts
To this day, many cultures around the world sing the praises of co sleeping and consider it the normal— and natural— way of easing baby’s stress while helping them learn to breathe regularly and healthily develop in body and mind.
Studies have confirmed that co sleeping is a safe practice that improves your sleep as a parent, supports your baby’s healthy development, and promotes bonding with your baby through proximity and touch (a perfect trifecta that makes parents sing the sleep practice’s praises).
But though co sleeping is one of the oldest and most popular methods of sleeping with a newborn around the world, getting the safety dos and don’ts of co sleeping with a newborn down is what leads to peace of mind—as well as long and restful nights of sleep for the whole family.
What a Safe Co Sleeping Environment Looks Like (and How to Prepare Your Own)
Before baby and parent tuck in for a more caring and nurturing night of rest, the co sleeping environment needs to be prepped for peaceful nights of catching Z’s.
Though it might be tempting to settle in and just invite your baby into your bed, this sleeping position (which is often called bed sharing) can put your co sleeping newborn at risk by surrounding them with super-soft pillows and blankets that aren’t built with their safety in mind.
That’s why every safe co sleeping environment should be designed to offer your little one comfort and security as they snore the night away.
To create a safe co sleeping environment (the kind that will deliver all the co sleeping benefits you’re after while also delivering the peace of mind you deserve, there are four key “must-dos” to remember:
- Co sleep with your baby close
- Create the right room conditions
- Ensure your baby’s safe sleep position
- Choose the right bedside sleeper
Ready to help your baby co sleep safe and sound? Let’s break these safe co sleeping “must-dos” down further!
Co Sleep with Your Baby Close By Your Side
There’s nothing better than turning over in the middle of the night to see your little one sleeping sweet and sound, with their eyes closed and the kind of gentle smile on their face that lets you know that they’re resting easy. 
Parents who choose co sleeping cite the extra bonding time as one of the biggest benefits: and we can’t help but agree (that’s one of the big reasons we love co sleeping so much)! Because when you sleep no more than an arm’s reach away from your little one, you have plenty of extra time to take in their features, listen to every gentle coo, and care for every small crisis call that comes through the night.
That kind of nighttime bliss can’t be beat. But you can put the brakes on that bonding—and foster a potentially unsafe sleeping environment—if you choose to sleep too far away.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep guidelines, you should be within easy reach of your sleeping baby for at least the first six months of their life (that’s to make sure that you’re always around when a crisis call hits, no matter how big or small).
And according to scientific research, sleeping next to your baby has historically been a way for babies to learn how to regulate their breathing patterns in positive ways. That’s because when you’re breathing close enough to your baby for them to hear you easily, they’ll start naturally matching your breathing rhythm (cool, right?).
Which is a pretty amazing way of saying that co sleeping with a baby isn’t just a way to bond on an emotional level. Every part of your baby’s system and your baby’s healthy development processes will benefit from the act of sleeping close to you—and feeling you there by their side every minute of the night.
Create the Right Room Conditions for Safe Co Sleeping
Dark, light, with the window open, with the window closed, with the thermostat set to a toasty 82 degrees—we all have an opinion on what kind of conditions create the best night’s rest. 
But when co sleeping, the room conditions need to be designed with your baby’s needs in mind.
That means the room shouldn’t be too toasty (aim for between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit), and there shouldn’t be extra pillows, stuffed animals, or blankets crowding the mattress. (These kinds of fluffy materials can quickly grow unsafe if a baby rolls onto them or gets wrapped up during the night.)
And even if you love the feeling of being extra-hot through the night (we can’t blame you for wanting to beat that winter chill or make the most of the summer heat!), welcoming your newborn baby might mean putting those preferences away for a little while. Because as soon as your baby takes up residence in your room, it’s time to start thinking of it as their space as well as yours.
But there’s good news: you don’t have to fully let go of your old sleep habits to guarantee that your baby is protected, well-rested, and unconditionally supported throughout the night.
By choosing a bedside sleeper that is expertly engineered with your baby’s comfort in mind (and beautifully designed with 100% beechwood to be eco-friendly and fit your bedroom style!), you can create a cozy environment for both you and your newborn.
Even better: you’ll soon be rewarded for your efforts. Because you’ll be enjoying more sleep (get ready for your new parent friends to be jealous!) and curbing separation anxiety while making nighttime nursing easier than ever.
Ensure Your Baby’s Safe Sleeping Position
There’s no debate or discussion about this one: experts agree that babies should sleep on their backs (just ask the American Academy of Pediatrics—or any other trusted source!).
And though expert consensus on this is fairly new (there weren’t firm guidelines on safe sleeping positions for babies until around the late 20th century), trusted voices have been on board with the necessity of a firm sleep space for a while now.
In case this baby is your first (or you just need a refresh!), the surface underneath your baby should always be firm and clean, and any blankets should be light and kept far away from covering your baby’s head.
When you’re co sleeping, these guidelines remain the same.
It’s important that your baby has space to lie comfortably—and safely—on a made-just-for-them mattress that isn’t too soft or pillowed. Babies can easily sink into too-soft bedding, which can quickly become dangerous if they’re not yet old enough to know how to safely roll away from too-plush materials.
But just because your baby is sleeping on a firm mattress doesn’t mean they’ll be left feeling uncomfy through the night.
With the right parent and baby-loved bedside co sleeper to keep them cozy and secure, they’ll be able to fall asleep every night while feeling like they’re on cloud nine. Because the best bedside co sleeper isn’t just designed to keep your little one safe by your side, it’s designed to nurture them in the loving half-moon shape of a hug, wrapping them in comfort whether day or night.
Which brings us to…
Choose the Best Bedside Co Sleeper and Take the Guesswork Out of How to Safely Co Sleep
While you may prefer a weightless waterbed or a soft-as-a-cloud pillow topper that leaves you feeling like you’re sleeping on air, babies need baby-secure beds that have been rigorously tested for safety.
And while many crib and bedside co sleeper manufacturers promise safety, they also build your baby’s sleeper out of cheap fillers and plastics, while being finished in toxic chemicals and varnish that leach harmful gasses all night long.
By choosing a bedside co sleeper that is made of eco-friendly, fully non-toxic, and ethically-sourced beechwood, you won’t just experience all the expected co sleeping benefits. You’ll also feel the difference that going with an all-natural option makes.
Because while adult mattresses just weren’t designed to properly support your baby (that’s the hard but honest truth!), made-just-for-them mattresses like the kind you’ll find on the best co bedside co sleeper will sit tightly against the co sleeper frame so there are no gaps, space, or crevices that your baby could accidentally slip into.
By choosing a product specially designed by experts to provide a safe co sleeping environment, you can spend less time worrying about how to safely co sleep—and spend more time catching Z’s while your little one calmly and restfully sleeps by your side.
Because enjoying the feeling of spending more time sleeping beside your baby, knowing that they are spending their night comforted and protected by your nearby touch?
That’s just priceless.
When was the last time you actually felt rested?
Can’t remember?
We totally get it. Those late-night feedings are exhausting, especially during the initial weeks after giving birth.
Imagine how rested you’d feel if you didn’t have to get out of bed every 2-3 hours to feed or soothe your newborn.
No more tip-toeing your way back to the crib, praying not to wake your baby.
No more frustration when, you finally find a comfortable position, only to be woken up moments later.
…sounds too good to be true, right? Not anymore.
Parents all over the world have started getting the sleep they desperately need by switching over to babybay’s Baby Bedside Sleeper.
Uniquely engineered to lock into beds of all sizes and heights, this co-sleeper is changing the game.
Now, you can enjoy all the benefits of co-sleeping, and the closeness of bedsharing, without compromising safety.
CO-SLEEPING ENCOURAGES DEVELOPMENT
James J. Mckenna, Director emeritus of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, found that,
“Parents serve as a kind of biological “jumper cable,” or outsourced regulator, to a newborn baby when she is completing her gestation outside her mother’s body. When parents and babies sleep together, their heart rates, brain waves, sleep states, oxygen levels, temperature, and breathing influence one another.”
In basic lingo, this means, your baby’s development relies on being close to you. Even outside of the womb, our bodies sync together for prime developmental functioning. The separation that comes from a stand-alone crib can get in the way of this.
Does this mean you have to stay joined at the hip? No. But, it shows that simply sleeping nearby makes it possible for them to grow big and strong. Amazing, right?
THE CLOSER YOU ARE THE LESS ANXIETY FOR EVERYONE
Hearing the beating of your heart and the in and out of your breath can be incredibly soothing to your baby. Depriving them of this for 6-8 hours at night means babies cry more often, needing your closeness to soothe their anxiety.
Babies who co-sleep generally cry less, wake less often, and allow you to sleep for longer periods of time.
Added Bonus: You get to wake up next to a smiley baby!
YOU CAN BETTER RESPOND TO A CRISIS WHILE CO-SLEEPING
Parenting guru Dr. Sears found during his studies that:
“Babies who sleep close to their mothers enjoy ‘protective arousal,’ a state of sleep that enables them to more easily awaken if their health is in danger, such as breathing difficulties…Infants who sleep near their parents have more stable temperatures, regular heart rhythms, and fewer long pauses in breathing compared to babies who sleep alone. This means the baby sleeps physiologically safer.”
When it comes to defending against dangers to your baby, there is no substitute for your care. Co-sleeping makes it possible to familiarize with all the sounds your baby makes.
As part of your natural-momma-bear instinct, (part of the physiological syncing mentioned above,) your body stays alert even while sleeping. If something is off, you can count on your body to sense it — and, in the event of an emergency, this can make all the difference for the safety of your baby.
The babybay Baby Bedside Sleeper is a leader in safety for co-sleeping with newborns. All of our sleepers undergo rigorous safety inspections, and must receive domestic and international safety certifications before ever going out to you.
If you’re ready to start getting a better night’s sleep, with less stress, and more opportunity to connect with your baby then, it’s time you meet our bedside cribs. 90% of the world’s families are already co-sleeping their way to better nights. Isn’t it time you expected more for your family?
Meet the babybay co sleeper cribs
Thank you to The MonarchMommy for your review of the babybay bedside sleeper! In her review, The MonarchMommy talks about the uniqueness and customizability of the babybay bedside sleeper as well as highlights many of the great qualities of the babybay.
Here are some of the Top Reasons MonarchMommy likes babybay:
- Safety – made of solid beechwood, manufactured in Germany and is made to the highest European standards.
- Non-toxic finish – no or low VOC – natural antibacterial and antistatic protection
- Durability – “There’s no plywood or plastic here, just strong sturdy beechwood, so you can feel confident that it’s not a flimsy piece of furniture that won’t stand the test of time. The babybay® will absolutely last through more than one child!”
- Versatility – can transform into bassinet, crib or even a bench – “A crib that doubles as a bassinet, co-sleeper, and a bench once baby’s outgrown it? Yes please!” – The MonarchMommy
- Safety certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturer’s Association (JPMA), ASTM international child safety standards, and TUV/GS (German Safety Approval)
“Once you’ve got the babybay® set up against the bed, you’ve created a perfect little sleep nest for you and your baby. It’s like bed-sharing and co-sleeping without losing even an inch of your own sleep space. Baby is within arm’s reach for those late night feedings, and best of all, baby is close AND safe in the babybay®.” – The MonarchMommy
Below is an excerpt of the review:
Enter the babybay! I only wish I’d known about this great baby sleep solution before my little ones were born. It’s something that gives you options and a customizability that I haven’t seen in baby sleep setups before. Want to know what it’s all about? Here you go!
What exactly is a babybay®? The babybay® is more than just a co-sleeper, it’s a bedside sleeper that actually attaches securely to any regular bed (with or without a boxspring). It is made out of locally-sourced beechwood, so it’s sustainable AND offers natural antibacterial and antistatic protection. The babybay® is manufactured in Germany and is made to the highest European standards. There are four finishes to choose from, and each is done with a high-quality water-based finish that is non-toxic and no or low VOC. That definitely promotes a safe sleeping environment for your precious little bundle. The height of the platform of the babybay® is fully adjustable, so it will fit most bed heights with ease.
Once you’ve got the babybay® set up against the bed, you’ve created a perfect little sleep nest for you and your baby. It’s like bed-sharing and co-sleeping without losing even an inch of your own sleep space. Baby is within arm’s reach for those late-night feedings, and best of all, baby is close AND safe in the babybay®. The babybay® is nice and sturdy too. There’s no plywood or plastic here, just strong sturdy beechwood, so you can feel confident that it’s not a flimsy piece of furniture that won’t stand the test of time. The babybay® will absolutely last through more than one child!
To read the full review visit: https://themonarchmommy.com/2016/04/21/babybay-bedside-sleeper/
For new parents, being close to their baby at all times is a priority. That includes being close to the baby during sleeping hours. The notion of co-sleeping refers to sleeping with your baby close to you, often with a reach of your arm. Co-sleeping generally means the baby is near, but in a different bed.
As you can see in this short clip, this dad is able to adjust his newborn in a babybay® bedside sleeper, which is attached right to the parents’ bed.
For several years now, more parents have been adopting this practice of co-sleeping, with the infants sleeping nearby in a co-sleeping cradle. This aligns with the guidelines set out by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which advises parents not to sleep with a new baby IN a parent bed, for obvious reasons. Let’s look at some of the benefits of co-sleeping arrangements.
Benefits of Co-Sleeping
Ideally, as a baby sleeps in a bedside sleeper next to the parents’ bed, the baby receives feelings of comfort, security and reassurance. Having the baby near to the parents’ bed gives the parents the ability to calm the baby without having to stand up and walk over to an unattached crib across the room or in another room.
Also, as both baby and parents sleep more soundly, this shared sleep provides benefits to both. The parent is at arm’s length in order to calm the baby if it awakes, and slowly massage the baby back to sleep. The baby gains a more balanced development in the early months of life, without sleep anxieties or other issues arising.
Find the Right Co-Sleeping Bed
At babybay, we take co-sleeping very seriously. Our babybay co-sleeping bed is one of the leading co-sleeping beds made for infants, and it’s largely because of the high attention of quality materials we put into the bed.
We make our babybay beds with untreated solid beech wood. This means the wood is untreated, made from sustainably managed forests, and is pollutant-free. Our babybay bed features 10 different adjustable height positions, giving parents the flexibility to adjust to the parent bed size. If you want to move the babybay around your living space, you can also pick up an optional side safety gate and castor wheels set for extra mobility.
If you’re a new parent, you owe it to yourself to check out a new babybay baby bedside sleeper bed. Our beds are solid and durable, and the quality wood design enhances the bedroom’s aesthetics. The co-sleeper can also be turned into a bassinet bed or play crib as your baby grows. Simply order our Bassinet Conversion Kit to convert your babybay from a bedside sleeper to a standalone bassinet.
Plastic netting, cheap fillers, screws made of plastic that seem like they can barely hold your baby crib up: so many baby products on the market these days (not to mention bassinets, co-sleepers, and cribs!) are built to be short-lived and quickly outgrown. But from the first day that the babybay bedside sleeper was born as an idea, we’ve strived to do things differently. Whether it’s the 100% solid beechwood construction, first-class safety certifications, or sustainability pledge that keeps parents in love with their bedside sleeper for a long time, this is what the babybay reviews have to say about what makes them choose babybay time after time (and kid after kid!).
Babybay Bedside Sleeper Safety: All the Details on the Top-Earned Safety Certifications
“BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN CO-SLEEPING AND CRIB SLEEPING
I have heard so many wonderful things about the BabyBay bedside sleeper from friends and peers, so I am really excited to try it out myself. I love that it’s made from natural materials (hooray for no plastics), and that it bridges the gap beautifully between co-sleeping and crib sleeping.”
– Alivia, ✩✩✩✩✩
When it comes to ensuring that your baby is sleeping safe and snug all through the first six months of their life, room sharing is the sleep approach recommended time and time again by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
If that lingo is new to you, room sharing describes the practice of sleeping extra-close to your baby by sharing a room — but not a sleep surface — with your little one.
Bedside co sleepers like the babybay give your little one a made-just-for-them space to get peaceful rest all night long, with safe locking straps that keep their crib securely attached to your bedside. This sleeping arrangement can be especially helpful for a quick response to nighttime wakings and breastfeeding without the risks that come from keeping your baby in your own bed and sleep space (which is why bedside sleepers get such a gold star when it comes to sticking in line with the AAP’s recommendations for safe sleep). 
When it comes to babybay bedside sleeper safety, parents aren’t the only ones raving. The babybay bedside co sleeper has been certified safe by some of the top certification standards, including ASTM International, TÜV Rheinland, and Confidence in Textiles (where it was awarded an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class 1 for babies certification — meaning it’s free of harmful regulated and unregulated toxic substances and materials).
Easy Access and Full Convenience with the Babybay Crib Conversion
“I looked everywhere for a co-sleeper that was functional, made with natural materials and wasn’t plasticy looking. I loved that i found this! It’s beautiful, works well and seamless to put together. Works everywhere next to our bed.”
– KP, ✩✩✩✩✩
Even if you don’t need a bedside option, the bassinet conversion kit makes it easy for the babybay to be used in any room of the house. Adding the rolling casters adds even more convenience to your babybay crib conversion opportunities by allowing your bassinet to roll from room to room as needed.
The space-saving design of babybay also allows you to easily push it through doorways and find a useful place to put it to good, rest-giving use in any room of your house or apartment. This can be especially handy for parents working at home or in smaller homes with multi-use spaces — and that kind of adaptability isn’t a happy accident, but a convenience-making choice or expert engineers made as they set construction of the first babybay in motion.
Toddler Time: How Your Babybay Original Grows as They Do
“WELL MADE
We just ordered the BabyBay Bassinet for our second baby. It was very easy to put together and is very well made. We wish we had this for our first born. I recommend this bassinet over all the plastic flimsy ones on the market. I plan to reuse this as a bench or desk in the kids room once they grow out of it. I am so happy I came across their product!”
– Tiffany, ✩✩✩✩✩
As your little one becomes more independent, the babybay easily transitions into a comfortable space for young children. That means it’s not just built to be with your family during the early days of your little one’s life, but will stick with you for the long-haul as they grow.
Adjusting the sleep space to a low-level makes a lovely bench space for a toddler. Baskets of toys or books easily slide under the platform to make a self-contained area. The comfortable mattress and a few pillows or stuffed animals make for a comfortable snuggle space for looking at picture books or playing with toys.
That means you have everything you need to make a special corner in the nursery or as a small space in the living room where your child can be comfortable and play independently once they grow out of sleeping in their babybay Original, babybay Maxi, or babybay Maxi Tall (which makes this bedside co-sleeper a perfect win-win in the short and long term!).