co sleeping method Archives

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 co sleeper—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 co sleeping 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 co sleeping, 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.

Build Your babybay

When it becomes time to transition baby from co-sleeping to a crib or room of their own, here’s the first thing you should know: there’s no one perfect way to stop co-sleeping, just like there’s no perfect timeline of when to do it.

At the end of the day, only you know what’s best for your family.

Instead of trying to learn every little thing there is to know about how to stop co-sleeping, prepare for this next important milestone by taking stock of where your baby is in their developmental journey and why your family believes that transitioning from co-sleeping is the right next step.

Being aware of your where and why will help you put a plan in place that will smooth the transition. That way, you can avoid weeks or months of exhaustion and frustration as you try out whatever method a well-meaning relative or friend told you is “right” (with little to no success, we might add!).

How to Stop Co-sleeping: Know Your Where

For some families, the time to stop co-sleeping comes when baby becomes mobile enough to easily crawl, roll, or scoot out of their safe bedside cosleeper and into the bedding, blankets, and pillows of their parents’ own space.

Though bedside co sleepers are designed to nurture baby in the protective and supported embrace of made-just-for-them mattresses, the oh-so-plush materials that adults prefer (we’re talking down feathers, pillow tops, cushy mattress pads, and layers of snuggly warmth) can easily wrap around baby or leave their body unsupported through the night.

If you’re transitioning away from co-sleeping, you might want to try methods for stopping co-sleeping that still keep baby close.

Here’s how to ease that transition.

Push your baby’s baby bassinet or crib against your bed and let baby spend a few nights getting used to the feeling of having their own space while still being by your side.

Once baby is comfortable with their new setup, move their crib or bassinet farther and farther across the room until they feel confident that having you out of reach doesn’t mean that they aren’t being looked after and loved all night long.

Other families might find that moving slow and steady by preparing their child early with books or chats that discuss the many exciting aspects of moving from cosleeping—A room of their own! A new crib!—can set their child up for success.

Stirring up excitement in advance by showing and explaining to your child what they can expect as they transition away from co-sleeping—and why this is an exciting time in their life, rather than a scary one—can also make moving into a crib or room of their own feel like a natural (and much-awaited!) next step are they grow big and strong.

How to Stop Co-sleeping: Know Your Why

There are many reasons why parents might decide that now is the time to stop co-sleeping.

Whether you’re looking for a little more privacy during the night, are worried that your child has outgrown your current co sleeping method, or just feel like the time is “right,” knowing the reasoning behind your decision will help you choose a method for stopping co sleeping that works.

Parents looking for a little more privacy might be more inclined to try the “cold turkey” method, where one night your bedroom simply becomes “off the table” as a sleeping option.

Though going “cold turkey” might leave you rocking and rolling through some resistance the first few nights, being firm and consistent in your decision to stop co-sleeping will help your baby soon learn that their new room is a safe and secure space to sleep (even if you aren’t always right by their side).

On the other hand, parents who have been prepping for a transition away from co-sleeping for a while now might find that a slower and more methodical approach (like slowly moving your baby’s crib or baby more and more distanced from your own) leads to quieter and less stressful nights of rest for all.

If you’re not in a rush to quit co-sleeping, then coming up with a game plan—by outlining how and when you’ll slowly transition baby away from co-sleeping—can help make the process a smooth one.

Plan out small changes you can make each night that will ultimately build to baby’s full sleeping independence.

This might mean deciding how far you’ll move their crib from your bed every night, or coming up with a plan to sleep on a mattress beside baby’s crib for a few nights before leaving them to try out their new space fully on their own.

No matter when you make the transition, know one thing: how to stop co-sleeping depends on the needs of your baby and family.

So rather than looking for the “right” method, simply continue to ask yourself: is this plan right for us?

Keeping that question at the top of your mind will make sure that this next step in your co-sleeping journey is a smooth and exciting time for all.

Tag: co sleeping method

When Is Co Sleeping Safe for My Baby?