What Is Co Sleeping and How Do I Know if It’s Right for Us?

what is co sleeping? Co-sleeping is often used as a catch-all term to describe the experience of sleeping with your baby close by.

Co-sleeping may look a little different for every family. Parents may lay their child in a safe bedside sleeper that attaches to the side of their own bed, or they might share a bedroom with their child but encourage baby to sleep in a separate crib. They might even sleep with their baby nestled up against them all through the night. 

Though there are many ways to co sleep, some are far safer than others. (Bedside sleepers, we’re looking at you and giving you a gold star!) 

But all forms of co-sleeping have one thing in common: they’ve been the safe sleeping practice preferred by families throughout history. 

Though parents in many modern Western countries have popularized separate bedrooms and detached cribs, for thousands of years going to sleep curled up near your newborn has been the norm. 

In fact, parents from many different cultures have long understood that co-sleeping promotes healthy emotional and physical development while bonding you and your baby, easing the stress of nighttime nursing, and gifting everyone in the house a more restful night of rest. 

(A full night of rest—now that’s something at the top of every new parent’s wish list!)

But as soon as mattresses and cribs became the new in-trend home fashion statement of the 19th century, parents in the Western world increasingly kicked children out of their own beds and moved them into mattresses and rooms of their own. 

In America, Canada, and Europe, some parents continue to boot children out of their own bedroom and encourage them to sleep through the night alone. 

However, anthropologist John Whiting surveyed 186 cultures and found that solitary sleeping might be a Western trend, but it’s far from a universal norm. He discovered that almost 70% of children living and growing around the world sleep in the company of others. 

That proves that co-sleeping isn’t just a trend—it’s the most popular and longest-loved sleeping practice in history.

What are Common benefits of co sleeping?

To grow healthily in body and mind, your baby needs to be able to receive—and respond to—a ton of sensory feedback. When babies are alone in their room at night, they lose the opportunity to grow their sensory awareness during their sleeping hours. 

But when babies are able to sleep close to others, they learn to bond and build meaningful connections while learning, growing, and developing an ability to separate and identify different sensory input. 

This helps them breathe more regularly, while experiencing less stress overall by learning what it feels like to be safe, secure, and protected.  

(And that’s good news—because when babies are less stressed, they put more energy into healthy growth and reap the rewards of a healthier immune system!)

But your baby isn’t the only one who benefits of co sleeping. Parents can care for their own bodies and minds by making nighttime nursing easier and getting a few much-needed extra hours of shut-eye. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CO-SLEEPING AND BEDSHARING?

Many parents who start to explore co-sleeping will find another term pop up in their suggested searches: bed sharing. 

Bed-sharing is just as it sounds—it’s the practice of inviting your newborn not just into your bedroom, but onto your mattress as well. 

Though bed sharing may boast some of the same benefits as other forms of co-sleeping—including increased bonding between parents and child and a less stressful night’s sleep for all—it can also be far less safe.

The feather-topped, super-soft, oh-so-pillowy mattresses that most of the Western world prefers can’t properly support your baby throughout the night. Your baby needs firmness and stability under their body while they sleep to ensure their body’s healthy growth. 

Though baby will love having you nearby as they rest, they won’t love your sleeping surface. 

Nor will they love all the extra blankets, pillows, and other comfort materials that adults love to cocoon in. 

As comfy as it might be for adults to tuck into a long night surrounded by a cloud of goose down, those comfort items can easily get wrapped around your baby throughout the night and lead to unsafe situations. 

That’s why parents should choose safe sleep for babies when setting up their environment. 

By choosing a bedside sleeper that fits flush against their bed, parents can control the specifics of their baby’s environment. 

(The first step? Pick a bedside co sleeper that’s right for baby and right for your room!) 

Baby can sleep securely nestled within an arm’s reach of their parents but feel comforted and protected on a mattress that is firm enough to support them and ensure safe sleeping. They can receive, learn, and grow from all the sensory input they receive throughout the night—while their parents sleep soundly knowing that they are safe in a bedside sleeper built just for them. 

babybay Among Top Co Sleeper Brands

The website Get toText rated the top 6 co-sleeper brands and babybay is on the list! The article talks about how co-sleeping is the current trend. The idea behind co-sleeping is to give the baby a feeling of security by having their parents close by. This shared sleep is good for the child’s development as well as anxiety prevention in those early months. 

The criteria used for choosing the Top 6 co sleeper brands are:

Reference brands: we make sure to select brands from the childcare sector that have proven their worth and leave no doubt as to the seriousness of manufacturing 

User reviews and feedback: ratings, testimonials from parents, and advice from early childhood professionals are brought together in order to draw the most objective assessment possible

Comparison and careful study of the characteristics of the models on the different merchant sites

Total independence when choosing products: the models of the brands mentioned are not aware of these analyzes or of influence on our choices.

If you are looking at co sleeper brands consider the leading, attachable, bedside co-sleeper by babybay. Not only are we the only eco-friendly sleeper on the market, but we are also committed to sustainable manufacturing. Each of our sleepers are made with the highest quality, European beechwood, and, for every tree used, we plant another. You’ll never see plastics, cardboard, or any toxic paints on our sleepers. Plus, we hold 2 of the highest safety certifications from Europe and the United States.

Our customers love our bedside sleepers because they’re created by parents, for parents — showing a true understanding of your everyday struggles and needs. 

Safe Co Sleeping with a Co Sleeper Bed

Co sleeping is an ancient practice. Sharing the parent’s bed with an infant was the norm in all societies prior to the 1700s according to a 1995 study published by the Official Journal of the Royal College of Midwives.

In many countries and cultures, co-sleeping and using a co sleeper bed is still widely practiced, where the benefit for both babies and mothers can still be seen today. Medical and scientific evidence suggests that co-sleeping (sleeping in close quarters with baby and parent) has many benefits that the Western practice of leaving infants alone in a room of their own does not.

In fact, babies who co sleep are often reported to seem happier than babies who don’t. Lactation consultants, doulas, midwives, and safe sleep professionals recommend the babybay co sleeper bed for safe co-sleeping practices. The babybay is an eco-friendly, non toxic baby %LINK% that allows parents and their newborn to sleep side by side at night, but in separate spaces. This is safe co-sleeping at its best.

Though there are dangers associated with certain types of co-sleeping, not all co-sleeping was created equally. Bed-sharing and couch-sharing have proven to be dangerous for babies, occasionally leading to SIDS.

Safe co-sleeping, or room-sharing, ensures that the infant is close to his or her parents, but not directly in bed with them, where overheating or suffocation from sheets being pulled up too high may occur. A bedside sleeper or co sleeper bed allows for safe co-sleeping to take place, giving baby his or her own crib space, while snuggled up right next to the parent’s bed.

Learn more about the babybay co sleeper bed on our website.

The babybay Bedside Co Sleeper Crib Helps You Get More Sleep

Thank you to The MonarchMommy for your review of the babybay bedside co sleeper crib! In her review, The MonarchMommy talks about the uniqueness and customizability of the babybay bedside co sleeper crib as well as highlights many of the great qualities of the babybay. 

Here are some of the Top Reasons MonarchMommy likes babybay: 

 

Safety – made of solid beechwood, manufactured in Germany and is made to the highest European standards.

Non-toxic finish – no or low VOC – natural antibacterial and antistatic protection

Durability – “There’s no plywood or plastic here, just strong sturdy beechwood, so you can feel confident that it’s not a flimsy piece of furniture that won’t stand the test of time. The babybay® will absolutely last through more than one child!”

Versatility – can transform into bassinet, crib or even a bench – “A crib that doubles as a bassinet, co-sleeper, and a bench once baby’s outgrown it? Yes please!” – The MonarchMommy

Safety certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturer’s Association (JPMA), ASTM international child safety standards, and TUV/GS (German Safety Approval)

 

“Once you’ve got the babybay® set up against the bed, you’ve created a perfect little sleep nest for you and your baby. It’s like bed-sharing and co-sleeping without losing even an inch of your own sleep space. Baby is within arm’s reach for those late-night feedings, and best of all, baby is close AND safe in the babybay®.” – The MonarchMommy

 

Below is an excerpt of the review:

Enter the babybay! I only wish I’d known about this great baby sleep solution before my little ones were born. It’s something that gives you options and a customizability that I haven’t seen in baby sleep setups before. Want to know what it’s all about? Here you go! 

What exactly is a babybay®? The babybay® is more than just a co-sleeper, it’s a bedside sleeper that actually attaches securely to any regular bed (with or without a boxspring). It is made out of locally-sourced beechwood, so it’s sustainable AND offers natural antibacterial and antistatic protection. The babybay® is manufactured in Germany and is made to the highest European standards. There are four finishes to choose from, and each is done with a high-quality water-based finish that is non-toxic and no or low VOC. That definitely promotes a safe sleeping environment for your precious little bundle. The height of the platform of the babybay® is fully adjustable, so it will fit most bed heights with ease.

Once you’ve got the babybay® set up against the bed, you’ve created a perfect little sleep nest for you and your baby. It’s like bed-sharing and co-sleeping without losing even an inch of your own sleep space. Baby is within arm’s reach for those late-night feedings, and best of all, baby is close AND safe in the babybay®. The babybay® is nice and sturdy too. There’s no plywood or plastic here, just strong sturdy beechwood, so you can feel confident that it’s not a flimsy piece of furniture that won’t stand the test of time. The babybay® will absolutely last through more than one child!

Learn more about the babybay bedside co sleeper crib on our website.