Co-Sleeping

Keeping a newborn baby in the parental bed is known as co-sleeping. There are a variety of views on this topic. In some countries children naturally sleep in the "family bed". In the west, traditionally babies have been put to sleep in a crib sometimes alongside mum's bed and sometimes in "baby's room".

It is very much a parental choice. Some people feel that baby sleeping with mum is more natural and that mum's breathing rate acts as a sort of pacemaker for baby. Certainly breast feeding is possibly less disruptive when mum doesn't have to get out of bed and "visit" baby in another room. Both may sleep lighter but feel the benefit of less anxiety and the mutual reward of the others presence. There is certainly a place for co-sleeping but it is, very much an individual choice.

Co-sleeping studies show that babies sleep on their backs and will feed with minimal disruption. Children, as they grow, often opt to leave the parental bed at anywhere between 18 months and 2 years. The maternal bond may be strengthened by co-sleeping and mums who have to return to work may feel that this time makes up for the time they have to spend apart from baby.

Parents who decide to co-sleep must make that decision together and decide when this arrangement should stop. Although traditionally in the West this was not a popular option more families do now co-sleep. As long as the parents are non smokers and are not retiring to bed in a drunken state there should be minimal risk for the child. There are also three sided bassinets available which can be attached to the parental bed, and allow the baby access to mum without the risk of falling out of the cot/bed.
As in all things parents have to be able to communicate their own feelings about this and if it is to work then both parents must be in agreement over the co-sleeping arrangement.

Baby should still be put down when showing signs of sleepiness, drowsy but awake. It should not be necessary for parental bedtime to be the same as that of baby although in the first few weeks mum may benefit from napping when her baby is sleeping. Co-sleeping ,with some thought given to sleep routines, should not constitute a sleep problem in itself and may not necessarily cause or contribute to sleep problems.

Sleep and the newborn baby

Newborn babies often seem to turn night into day. Many new mums struggle to cope with their own sleep deficit while settling baby and coming to terms with the changes this new life brings.

Babies born at term (when they were due/not premature) should sleep for 16 to 20 hours a day. Premature babies may sleep more. The sleep periods usually last 3 to 4 hours and waking is most commonly due to hunger. Breast fed babies may sleep for shorter periods because breast milk, which is definitely the best, is more easily digested. Wake times are usually short, 1-2 hours wakefulness. When fed and changed baby should settle to sleep within 10-15 minutes.


Mum's sleep
If at all possible mum's should aim to catch up on their own sleep while baby sleeps.

Teaching baby to sleep.
It is helpful if parents learn to recognise when baby is displaying sleepy signals and, while baby is awake but drowsy, put the baby down to sleep so that baby learns early on to self sooth.

It is unlikely that a routine can be firmly established before 12 weeks of age. Babies have no memories and insufficient experience of life to know that when they cry, someone will come and feed/change them. This requires learning which is accomplished when, over a period of time, the baby's experience shows that mum comes when baby cries and that his/her needs are met when they are signaled.

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