Choosing Co-Sleeping or Crib Sleeping

Should you and your infant sleep in the same bed? Is it safe? Sometimes, it may seem natural to cuddle up with your newborn. It's especially hard for moms to leave baby in the crib. After all, up until a short time ago, your baby was part of you. Babies are certainly more calm when held close to your heart. On the other hand, they need to develop into independent people at some point. I went back and forth on the co-sleeping issue until I thought about the dangers and consequences more thoroughly. Now I recommend crib sleeping for safety and other reasons.

Safety is the main consideration for choosing crib sleeping. Beds are made for adults, not infants. There's nothing to keep your baby from falling out. Not only that, waterbeds and platform beds can allow baby to become trapped and smother while you sleep. Even worse, you could easily roll over onto your baby in the night. The presence of pillows in your bed can also be a smothering hazard to babies.

Old habits die hard. I hate to admit, my youngest spent a lot of time sleeping in my bed as an infant. I was a busy, exhausted single parent. I didn't always have the energy to get up for feedings and such. As a result, it took forever to get her in the habit of sleeping in her own bed as a toddler. Not only that, I realize now, I was gambling with her life. If I had it to do over, I would definitely choose crib sleeping over co-sleeping.

What if you're not a single parent? Certainly, intimacy with your partner will need to resume at some point. Isn't that a little awkward with a baby in the bed? Of course, you can move them to their crib when needed. Unfortunately, they may have other ideas. Children who are used to co-sleeping could raise quite a fuss when you move them to the crib, even occasionally. That won't do a whole lot for your romantic relationship.

What are some alternatives for co-sleeping? Maybe your baby just doesn't sleep well without you in the room. What do you do? Well, you could try placing a bassinet next to your bed. It will be more convenient for those 2 a.m. feedings as well. As your infant grows, you can move the bassinet further and further way until baby is in his or her own room. The next step is the crib. When it comes to raising children, I find gradual adjustments like this give them a better sense of security anyway.


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