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Room-sharing with your baby — whether they’re in a bassinet across the room or a co-sleeper that’s literally attached to your bed — is actually safest for them during the first 6 to 12 months, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. In fact, a 2017 study found that it cuts down on SIDS risks significantly. The downside? It can also throw a major wrench in parents’ sleep schedules (but I probably didn’t have to tell you that one). For that reason, the AAP recommends that babies be moved into their own rooms by the age of 1 (or at least 6 months).
What if baby can't have their own room?
Of course, not every family has the space to move their baby into their own room by 12 months. If you’re living in a one-bedroom or studio apartment, it may be your only option (and that’s OK!). While the AAP has said that more research is needed to know the long-term effects room-sharing may have on children, most of what we do know now is that it may impact the parents’ sleep. And as hard as that can sometimes be, it truly depends on your baby and your situation.
Why some parents opt for room-sharing
If you’re exclusively breastfeeding, room-sharing makes middle-of-the-night feedings even easier. If you’re also following some attachment-parenting practices, this may be more in line with your general parenting style and philosophies. Just make sure you’re aware of the AAP’s safe-sleep guidelines for room-sharing, which include placing your baby on a firm, separate sleep surface.
"We know that parents may be overwhelmed with a new baby in the home, and we want to provide them with clear and simple guidance on how and where to put their infant to sleep," said Dr. Rachel Moon, in a 2016 press release by the AAP. "Parents should never place the baby on a sofa, couch or cushioned chair, either alone or sleeping with another person. We know that these surfaces are extremely hazardous."
The difference between bed-sharing and room-sharing
It’s also important to note, though, that while the AAP does advocate room-sharing, that does not include bed-sharing, since those risks are still not fully known.
While that may sound extreme to some of us who grew up sharing beds with our own parents, the stats are pretty sobering. According to the AAP, an estimated 3,500 infants die each year in the United States from sleep-related deaths. And that doesn’t just refer to cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) — it also applies to accidental suffocation and strangulation, and what are referred to as “ill-defined deaths.” Luckily the number of infant deaths has “plateaued” in recent years, says the AAP, after a spike in the 1990s resulted in a nationwide safe-sleep campaign to raise awareness.
The bottom line? If you can move your baby to another room by 1 year, great. But if you can’t because of your living situation, or you need some time to look for a bigger place, it’s fine to extend that period by a bit, as long as you’re OK with sacrificing some sleep of your own.
