Co-sleeping: What is safe, what is not, and why you may want to give it a try.

Co-sleeping has existed since the beginning of time. Mothers still do it all around the world today. So why all of this talk about co-sleeping being unsafe? Are there any benefits to co-sleeping?

Dr. Jame McKenna, a professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame and the director of the Mother-Baby Sleep Laboratory, is a leading expert on Co-Sleeping. There can be many benefits to co-sleeping, when it is done safely. There is also a range of what it means to co-sleep. Co-sleeping can mean having a crib in the parents room in order to be more attentive to their baby's needs. It can also mean having a side-car bassinet that pulls up to the side of the bed for easy access to the baby. For some it can mean bed sharing. As with all infant sleep, it is important to follow the safety guidelines when bed sharing. Additionally, co-sleeping can be done for any amount of time that feels comfortable for the family-- whether for a the first few weeks of infancy, or until the baby is a toddler.

Research shows that some of the benefits of co-sleeping are:
-Babies breastfeed more often, however, studies showed this did not affect the amount of sleep their mother was able to get.
-Sleep sharing babies tend to sleep on their backs more often and are less at risk for SIDS.
-Each mother baby pair was shown to remain in the same sleep cycle for longer periods of time.
-Sleep sharing mothers were able to maintain the same amount of deep sleep as non-co-sleeping mothers. -Mothers were more able to sleep harmoniously with their baby, and had the ability to unconsciously change sleep cycles as their baby did.
-There is more touch between mothers and babies who co-sleep, enhancing mother-infant bonding and promoting infant growth.    [http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/co-sleeping-yes-no-sometimes]

Some considerations for safe bedsharing include not smoking, using medications that make you sleep heavily, or bedsharing while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Only breastfed babies should bedshare and be placed on his or her back on a firm and flat mattress, with baby's head and face clear of heavy blankets or pillows that could cause suffocation.

Here are more specific guidelines to co-sleeping safely: http://cosleeping.nd.edu/safe-co-sleeping-guidelines/

Please do your own research on safety and this topic to determine what is right for you and your family.