Room Sharing Sharing a bedroom with your baby for at least the first six months is known to reduce the risk of SIDS and is the best option for creating a safe sleep environment. Having the crib next to your bed is a great spot, allowing you to easily check on baby during the night, provides ease for breastfeeding and offers parents piece of mind.
CFSID understands that sometimes a crib will not fit in the parent’s room. Cradles are a great option and can be used up to six months of age or until the baby can push up on their hands and knees. Portable hard-sided cribs are also a smaller alternative. The use of soft-sided cribs is not recommended. If the above recommended options are not available, the safest place to sleep your baby is on a light blanket on the floor, away from clutter, pets, vents, electrical outlets, cords, heaters etc.
Dangers of Bed Sharing There is scientific evidence that sharing a bed or a sleep surface with a baby increases the risk of SIDS and fatal sleep accidents. Therefore CFSID does not recommend bed sharing with babies. The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or cradle next to the parent’s bed for the first six to twelve months of life.
Bedsharing means sleeping on the same surface with your baby. Some parents refer to this practice as co-sleeping.
This is very dangerous and is never recommended.
Bed sharing is extremely dangerous, especially when:
the baby shares the sleep surface with a smoker
there is adult bedding, duvets or pillows
the baby can be trapped between the wall and the bed, can fall out of bed or is rolled on
the parent is under the influence of alcohol or drugs that cause extreme drowsiness
the baby is sharing sleep surfaces with other children or pets
the baby is placed to sleep on a sofa, beanbag, waterbed or sagging mattress
the baby is younger than four months of age or is premature or small for gestational age
