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PrintIs It Safe for My Baby to Sleep in My Bed?
My husband and I just brought our new baby girl home from the hospital. I’ve read that it’s not safe to have her sleep in our bed. Is this true?
Good sleeping habits are important to your baby’s physical health and emotional well-being. There are many factors that affect whether your baby is safe while sleeping, including her environment, sleeping position, type of crib or bed and mattress.
Creating a safe sleep environment for your baby will reduce the risk of injuries and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). This occurs when a baby dies unexpectedly while sleeping and no cause is identified. It is less common in babies whose parents do not smoke — especially babies whose mothers don’t smoke during pregnancy — and in babies who sleep on their back.
For the first six months, the safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib in your room.
Place baby on her back
Here are some important things to remember in helping you both get a good and safe night’s sleep:
Starting from birth, place your baby to sleep on her back for the first year of life, at nighttime and for naps. When she can turn over on her own, you don’t need to force her to continue sleeping on her back.
Use a firm, flat surface for sleep. Waterbeds, air mattresses, pillows, couches/sofas or soft materials are not safe sleep surfaces for babies. Babies can turn onto their stomachs and bury their faces in these soft materials, not getting enough air to breathe. Car seats and infant carriers should not replace the crib for your baby’s sleep.
Keep soft materials out of your baby’s sleep environment: quilts, comforters, bumper pads, stuffed animals, pillows and other pillow-like items.
Make sure your baby is not too warm. Use only a light blanket, or dress your baby in sleepers if the room is cool.
Keep your baby away from cigarette smoke. Babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy and babies who are exposed to smoke after birth are at an increased risk of SIDS.
Be sure your baby’s crib meets Health Canada’s current safety standards. For more details, visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/cons/crib-lits/index_e.html or contact the nearest Consumer Product Safety Office, listed in the blue pages of your phone book.
The danger of bedsharing
Some parents decide to bedshare, which means sleeping on the same surface with your baby. Adult beds are not designed with infant safety in mind. That’s why they are not the safest place for babies to sleep. Babies can become trapped in the space between the mattress and the wall, or between the mattress and the bed frame. They can also fall off a bed or an adult can roll over and suffocate them. Soft bedding, such as comforters or duvets, can cover a baby’s head and cause overheating. In addition to that, babies whose heads are covered while sleeping are at increased risk of SIDS.
The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib close to your bed. When you’re breastfeeding, having your baby near you makes nighttime feedings easier. But when you bring your baby into bed with you to breastfeed, it’s easy for both of you to fall asleep, especially when you are lying down.
Despite the possible dangers involved, many parents still choose to have their baby sleep in their bed. Here are some important points to consider before doing so:
Smoking during pregnancy or after the baby is born increases the risk of SIDS, especially if you share a bed with your baby and even if you never smoke in bed.
If you fall asleep with your baby, you may not be able to wake up easily and respond to her. This is more likely to happen if you:
• have drank alcohol.
• have taken any drugs (legal or illegal) that could make you very sleepy.
• are extremely tired (more than usual).
Never lie down or sleep with your baby or let your baby sleep alone on a couch, sofa or armchair. A baby can become trapped down the sides or in the cushions and suffocate.
