Co-sleeping guidelines

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If you're going to sleep with your baby in your bed, these are the key guidelines from the FSID.

Don't let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby.
Place your baby on the back to sleep (and not on the front or side).
Don't let your baby get too hot and keep their head uncovered.
Place your baby with their feet to the foot of the cot to prevent them wriggling down under the covers (or use a baby sleep bag)
Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair.
The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or cot in a room with you for the first six months.
It's especially dangerous for your baby to sleep in your bed if you (or your partner smoke (even if you never smoke in bed or at home), have been drinking alcohol or taking medication or drugs that make you drowsy or if you feel very tired.
It's also more dangerous if your baby was born before 37 weeks or weighed less than 2.5kg or (5½ lbs) at birth.
Don't forget, accidents can happen - you might roll over in your sleep and suffocate your baby; or your baby could get caught between the wall and the bed, or could roll out of an adult bed and be injured.
Settling your baby to sleep (day and night) with a dummy can reduce the risk of cot death, even if the dummy falls out while your baby is asleep.
Breastfeed your baby. Establish breastfeeding before starting to use a dummy.

Where to next?

- More information on cot death
- Your baby's weight - what's normal?
- Sleep strategies that work

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Mark Andrews, 9 months

Hello To All This is a great article and I do see the benefits of both sides. I was born and raised in the UK but I now live in Jakarta, Indonesia with my wife and 6 month old Son, Leonyan. We had my Mother to stay for 2 months and she had some strong views on bringing up a very young baby and so she should, she raised two herself. I figure Mum is a great source of useful info so I often call her about things like this. My Mother believes Leo should be in his own cot to sleep at night and when I asked my Wife how old she was when she had her own bed to sleep in she replied, 14 years old. Up until then she slept with her Grandmother. The differences between cultures can be vast and I see this every day. At the moment Leo sleeps in the bed with my wife, he enjoys the close contact with his Mother, it’s a joy to see. I sleep on the floor next to them both on a single matrice but regarding the notion that the parents need time to be together, well all I can say is we definitely get our time together. My wife will join me on the matrice for a good night cuddle before she will finally rest with Leo for the night in the double bed. It is very warm at night in Jakarta, we have AC but I don’t like to use it all night long, still Son and Mother manage to sleep soundly through the night with no problems. I realise its different for everyone but we all find our routines in the end Thanks for the Article Regards Mark Andrews

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