New guidelines issued by the American Academy of Paediatrics advise that babies should sleep in the same room as their parents for the first 12 months of life to help reduce the risk of sleep-related deaths.
Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, pediatrics researcher at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, New Jersey and co-author of the new guidelines reiterated that parents should not bed-share with their babies – especially during the first four months of life – and that sharing the same room could reduce the risk of SIDS by up to 50 per cent.
In the UK, NHS guidelines already encourage parents to share their bedroom with their baby for the first six months, but this new study might persuade some parents to stretch that to a year.
In my case, my kids all moved into their own bedrooms at different stages but I remember finding the transition really tough from having the cot in our bedroom to dispatching the baby to a room of his or her own. At the same time, I remember feeling ready to reclaim our bedroom back from the baby well within a year. (And feeling guilty, of course, for thinking that way.)
I just found that having baby beside us in our bedroom seemed to disrupt the precious few hours of sleep I managed to snatch, and one of my kids in particular seemed easily disturbed by us being in the same room and frequently used to stir when we went to bed, just at the stage when she was naturally beginning to sleep for longer stretches.
So I can well imagine that this new advice might cause some angst for many a new parent. Safe sleeping is just the kind of topic that gave me sleepless nights when my firstborn was a baby.
Current NHS guidelines recommend the following safe-sleeping tips:
Always place your baby on his / her back with feet touching the end of the cot.
Put your baby to sleep in a cot in the same room as you for the first six months.
Don't allow smoking in the same room as your baby.
Don't share your bed with your baby, especially if you smoke or have consumed drugs or alcohol.
Never fall sleep with your baby on the sofa or in a chair.
Don't cover your baby's head indoors.
Monitor the temperature in your baby's bedroom - don't let it get too hot or cold.
Ensure there are no cot bumpers or loose bedding in your baby's cot.
For more information on safe-sleeping with your baby, download these safe sleeping guidelines from the Lullaby Trust.
How do you feel about the safe-sleeping guidelines and do you plan to share your room with your baby for 12 months? Join the conversation over on our Facebook page or leave us a comment below.
My son went into his own room at 6/7 weeks old. That way I didn't lie there awake worrying about every little grunt and movement from the cot, and my husband got a good nights sleep before going to work all day. Everyone should do what works best for them, every baby (and every parent) is different and what works for one won't work for another.