Risks of Co-Sleeping and Safer Alternatives for Infant Sleep Safety

Co-sleeping, defined as parents sharing a bed with their infants, remains a common practice across many cultures worldwide, despite being controversial in the United States. Experts, including Dr. Thomas Keens from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, warn that this practice can pose significant risks to infants. According to safety guidelines from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Academy of Pediatrics, children under two should sleep in approved cribs or bassinets within the same room as their parents, avoiding shared beds to prevent accidents such as suffocation, entrapment, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Research indicates that co-sleeping may also delay infant independence and lead to sleep disturbances, characterized by shorter, more fragmented sleep cycles. To promote safety and foster healthy sleep habits, parents are encouraged to use bedside sleepers—secure, stable sleep environments attached to the adult bed—allowing proximity without the associated dangers of bed sharing. While some advocates cite cultural, social, and breastfeeding benefits to co-sleeping, scientific evidence predominantly supports safer sleep arrangements that keep in...