Babies & Toddlers sleeping in parents beds

I think it is absurd and very unsafe for parents to put their babies in the bed with them while they sleep. Many parents say they 'hear every breath' or 'feel every move' their babies are making. I disagree. The chances of them accidentally killing that child is extreme. Also, they later gripe that they can't get their child to sleep in their own bed when they are older. Children should not sleep in their parents bed!

What do you think?

It's been long proven to be dangerous for infants to sleep with adults. I think that was the cause of Solomon's tricky solution to two women claiming one child.

Sea lions crush their young all the time - but sea lions have no choice but to sleep on a crowded beach. Ppl can get a crib. And if worried about breathing, they have monitors for sleep apnea now.

When I was born and came home from the hospital, my grandmother took me to bed with her every night for 3 weeks. Then, as soon as I was able to climb out of my crib and hit the floor running, I'd run down the hall to my parents' bedroom and climb in with them, I was never crushed. But, aside from the fact that I didn't let my mother get any sleep for the first three years of my life, I don't recall any complaints about not being able to get me to sleep in my own bed.

I don't know. When my son was a toddler and he would sleep in the bed with me. I'd eventually put in his crib. Now my cat on other hand winds up in my bed every night. I don't how many times I've kicked him or rolled on him.

It's fine for a toddler to sleep in his parents bed from time to time, but a baby absolutely shouldn't. It's usually new mothers that become so attached to their new baby that they can't bare to let it sleep in its own crib. My ex used to take our daughter to bed with her and we used to argue about it constantly; my biggest concern was that she was going to suffocate under the covers or fall out of the bed.

Babies should not sleep in bed with parents due to the suffocation factor. Too high of a risk no matter how many parents get away with it, with no ill occurrence.

Well, research the statistics on babies for crib death and SIDS vs the stats on babies dying because they slept in their parents bed. Back in the day, people didn't have cribs. The baby got stuck in a dresser drawer. Look at how many cribs today get recalled. I don't see a problem with babies sleeping in the bed with their parents at all. My mother let her us sleep in the bed with her when we were babies and nothing happened. I know lots others who have done the same thing. Your maternal or paternal instinct isn't going to let you suffocate your baby. And it's not going to fall out either.

I think it's dangerous for babies. Maybe sometimes for toddlers, but only sometimes.

Of course it can also be dangerous, like NYStyles said, in cribs, every other week almost there are thousands of cribs being recalled for safety issues, how are you ever going to know if you have a safe one then?

A baby, no, but a toddler, yes. I can see maybe letting a baby in bed with you if you're just napping and covered with a light blanket but overnight, no. It's not something I'd risk. If I wanted the baby in the same room, I'd use a bassinet.

Nystyle709 wrote:Well, research the statistics on babies for crib death and SIDS vs the stats on babies dying because they slept in their parents bed. Back in the day, people didn't have cribs. The baby got stuck in a dresser drawer. Look at how many cribs today get recalled. I don't see a problem with babies sleeping in the bed with their parents at all. My mother let her us sleep in the bed with her when we were babies and nothing happened. I know lots others who have done the same thing. Your maternal or paternal instinct isn't going to let you suffocate your baby. And it's not going to fall out either.

Of course a newborn isn't going to fall out. And to be honest, I don't know the statistics on it, thoroughly. I do think that the stats on it are affected due to the fact that many parents may not admit to co-sleeping in instances of sids.

Maternal or paternal instincts are not going to eliminate suffocation especially in instances where the child is sleeping in the bed due to the parent(s) exhaustion. And if not exhaustion, there is intoxication or laziness. It is "easier" to calm a crying baby when he is in the bed, vs. having to get out of bed to try to appease him.

When my kids were babies we would put them down for naps in our bed sometimes, but they were in their own crib and in their own room when it came time for everyone to turn in for the night. Babies shouldn't sleep with their parents at night, they'll get too used to it and won't ever want to sleep alone.

Something to think about. I know I'll probably have my baby in bed with me a lot, but I do see trying to resist the urge to have him or her sleeping with me overnight. I pretty much agree that babies should sleep in their cribs primarily.

That sets a bad habit. At some point you're gonna want them to sleep in their own room and they're gonna initially resist sleeping alone. Like someone else said, I used to take naps with my twins....but when it was bedtime at night, off to their cribs in their own room they went.

RedBedroom wrote:

Nystyle709 wrote:Well, research the statistics on babies for crib death and SIDS vs the stats on babies dying because they slept in their parents bed. Back in the day, people didn't have cribs. The baby got stuck in a dresser drawer. Look at how many cribs today get recalled. I don't see a problem with babies sleeping in the bed with their parents at all. My mother let her us sleep in the bed with her when we were babies and nothing happened. I know lots others who have done the same thing. Your maternal or paternal instinct isn't going to let you suffocate your baby. And it's not going to fall out either.

Of course a newborn isn't going to fall out. And to be honest, I don't know the statistics on it, thoroughly. I do think that the stats on it are affected due to the fact that many parents may not admit to co-sleeping in instances of sids.

Maternal or paternal instincts are not going to eliminate suffocation especially in instances where the child is sleeping in the bed due to the parent(s) exhaustion. And if not exhaustion, there is intoxication or laziness. It is "easier" to calm a crying baby when he is in the bed, vs. having to get out of bed to try to appease him.

Well, if you know you're the type who sleeps hard and won't realize you're sleeping on top of your baby, then perhaps the baby shouldn't sleep in the bed with you. This is a decision that is totally dependent on the parent. If YOU don't feel comfortable, fine. However, I can totally understand parents apprehension about putting their baby in a crib. Hasn't cried all night, think you're getting a peaceful night's sleep and then you wake up morning and the baby isn't breathing. Or the damn crib fell apart and now is resting on top of the baby. Or something came off the crib, found its way it's way in the baby's mouth and he chokes on it. Read Maya Angelou's book (I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings). Yes, your instincts will kick in. Like I said before, people back in the day didn't have cribs. Babies slept right in the bed with their parents and the instances for crib death were NEVER as high as it is now. My mother never had a crib. Me and my brother didn't get cribs until we were damn near one.

Our daughter slept in...I don't know what you call it. It was sort of like a mini-crib that was right next to uor bed. No need for her to actually be in our bed. When she was a toddler? Once in a blue moon when she was sick or had a bad dream.

RedBedroom wrote:...And to be honest, I don't know the statistics on it, thoroughly. ...

Well, we are on the Internet - the stats are at hand:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/cosleeping.html#

However, this is one of those emotionally charged issues where ppl take up postures depending on their beliefs and the stats are pretty much in the middle as to relative safety. There are other sites when you search, but some were so agenda laden that they become suspect. The link posted seemed to cover both sides.

The benefit as presented is that it accommodates breastfeeding and is a more natural occurrence for mother & baby.

But there is some risk:
"According to the CPSC, at least 515 deaths were linked to infants and toddlers under 2 years of age sleeping in adult beds from January 1990 to December 1997:

121 of the deaths were attributed to a parent, caregiver, or sibling rolling on top of or against a baby while sleeping
more than 75% of the deaths involved infants younger than 3 months old"

Also, we Westerners tend to have big fluffy beds that risk suffocation instead of a futon on the floor or wooden bedframe with rope lattice as much of he world uses.

alan smithee wrote:Our daughter slept in...I don't know what you call it. It was sort of like a mini-crib that was right next to uor bed.

A bassinet. That works too.