Why Co-Sleep: The Benefits for Your Baby

Sleeping is one of the most stress-inducing activities for a parent to go through with their newborn child because of the dangers of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). SIDS is the sudden and unexplainable death of a young child under the age of one who otherwise appears healthy. SIDS is also commonly referred to as crib death because it occurs more frequently during sleep than any other activity. In addition to this syndrome, there are many other precautions that must be taken to ensure the safety of an infant while sleeping. There are many different ways parents choose to tackle this issue and make safe choices for their newborn.

One of the most popular and successful sleeping arrangements for parents and their newborns is the process of co-sleeping. This can be done in a variety of ways: bed-sharing, side-car arrangement, or different beds in the same room. Bed-sharing is not advised because it carries several risks, one of the most prevalent being the child could be inadvertently crushed by the parents rolling over him or her. Despite its dangers, bed-sharing is the most common way of co-sleeping with your baby. If you’re planning to share your bed with your precious little one, it’s crucial that you get the right Serta mattress to ensure comfort and avoid crushing your child when you turn over. Utilizing the tactic of different beds in the same room is good but it still requires the parents to get out of their bed to attend to the child. A side-car arrangement is the most beneficial because it keeps the child extremely close to the parent while eliminating the dangers of bed-sharing.

A side-car arrangement essentially consists of a crib or bassinet that attaches to the side of the bed. Usually, it has three walls and where the fourth wall would be is where the carriage attaches to the bed. This allows parents very easy access to the baby without the baby actually sleeping in the same bed. Some of the benefits of this form of co-sleeping are explained below.

• Babies Get More Sleep

Babies in this co-sleeping arrangement are very close to their parents. This allows parents to reach the child quickly when they cry and for them to be soothed back to sleep very quickly so that they do not lose too much sleep crying and being upset before they can get back to sleep.

• Breastfeeding is Easier

If the baby is close to the mother with co-sleeping, then she can easily retrieve the baby to quickly breastfeed. The mother is also already lying down and can easily breastfeed from this position during the night.

• Less Night-time Separation Anxiety

One of the hardest things for young babies is to be apart from their parents. If the child does not have to sleep very far away from their parents, then they will have less anxiety which will allow both the parent and the child to sleep better.

• Decreases the Risk of SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a major problem for young babies and unfortunately, the causes aren’t entirely known. However, a study was released by the American Academy of Pediatrics that stated that parents who sleep in the same room as their infants can reduce the risk of SIDS by as much as 50%. Anything that can be done to reduce the risk of this horrible condition should be highly considered.

Co-sleeping has many clear benefits that make it a great choice for many parents. However, each parent must discover what works best for their child and their family. If you would like more information on the subject of co-sleeping and the different ways in which it can be applied, then check out cosleepercots.co.uk. This resource provides a plethora of information on the subject and also details the safest way to co-sleep: the co-sleeper cot. Co-sleeper cots come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit the needs of any parent.

Bringing a child into the world is a huge undertaking and it can be incredibly overwhelming for any parent. Co-sleeping can add a little bit more peace and serenity at least to the sleeping process with many health benefits for the baby.