Being aware
He also found that mothers who sleep with their infants have been shown to
be keenly aware of her child's breathing and temperature throughout the
night and are able to quickly respond to any significant changes.
"The baby will know that you are there and (you) can respond emotionally and
physiologically in potentially beneficial ways," he says. "Babies arouse
more frequently, but for shorter average durations than if the baby slept
apart, and spend less time in deeper stages of sleep, which may not be
beneficial for babies with arousal deficiencies"
Heidi Perkins, of Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, has been sharing
sleep with her 17-month-old daughter since her child was born.
"When our daughter was first born, she would sleep on my chest wrapped up in
her blankets, and during that time we put our bed up against the wall. Now
we have a portable safety bar that we put on the side of the bed, and also
lowered our bed so that she can climb up and down if she wanted," she says.
"We don't use a lot of blankets, and don't use blankets that are too heavy."
Liz Vazquez decided co-sleeping was right for her family before they even
conceived their now 19-month old daughter.
She says the key to making the family bed safe is "two alert parents."
"We both learned early on to be aware of the baby at all times -- her
position, her breathing, everything," says Vazquez, of Austin, Texas."... We
generally keep the baby between us for safety, and the mattress is on the
floor. We found it particularly important to have the mattress on the floor
once our daughter starting rolling over. We also have some pillows on the
floor next to the bed in case she were to roll out of bed. It's also
important, of course, to make sure that the bedroom is child safe, since the
baby is not in any sort of enclosure as she would be in a crib."
Safety guidelines
McKenna recommends parents follow these guidelines when co-sleeping:
- Infants should sleep on their backs on firm, clean surfaces, in the
absence of smoke, under light, comfortable blanketing and their heads should
never be covered.
- The bed should not have any stuffed animals or pillows around the infant
and an infant should never be placed to sleep on top of a pillow.
- Infants should never sleep on couches or sofas, with or without adults,
because they can slip down into the crevice or get wedged against the back
of a couch. They also should not sleep on beanbags or waterbeds.
- Avoid crevices between mattress and wall or mattress and side rail.
Avoid side rails, headboards and footboards that have slats that could
entrap your baby's head.
- Infants one year or younger should not sleep with other children.
- Parents on sedatives, medications, drugs or who have consumed alcohol or
those who are excessively unable to arouse because of sleep disorders should
not co-sleep on the same surface with the infant. This is also true if your
partner has or takes no responsibility for the baby. Keep the baby in front
of you, if that is the case.
- Mothers with excessively long hair should tie it up to prevent infant
entanglement around the infant's neck.
- Extremely obese persons, who may not feel where exactly or how close
their infant is, may wish to have the infant sleep alongside but on a
different surface.
- Avoid putting your bed near curtains or blinds that have dangling
strings that could strangle your baby.
Jacquelyn O'Brien of Fairfax, Virginia says she uses a side rail on her bed
to protect her 9-month-old son.
"And when I nurse my son on my husband's side of the bed I put a pillow
between me and my husband so my husband won't roll onto our side," she says.
"Usually my son sleeps on his back between me and the guard rail. I sleep on
my side facing the baby with my arm resting on him. When he changes position
or starts waking up to nurse I am instantly aware. Sometimes he sleeps right
on my chest, tummy to tummy. We keep pillows to a minimum. I make sure I
never become intoxicated or take medication that will make me too sleepy. If
I do, I put the crib right next to my bed and keep my hand on the baby. That
way he is near me, but in a safe place."
Doing what's best for you
While these strategies may work for some parents, they may not work for
everyone, so O'Brien suggests new parents do what works best for them.
"Co-sleeping doesn't always mean the child has to be right there in bed with
you. It could mean in the same room, etcetera," she says.
Parents who are unsure about co-sleeping but want to have their baby nearby
may want to consider using a crib-like co-sleeper like the Arms Reach
Co-Sleepers which are infant beds that securely attach to the parents' bed.
Other devices, such as the Snuggle Nest, a small bed with protective sides
that can be used on the parents' bed, also are sold through various
retailers.
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