Why Is it Important for Children to Sleep in Their Own Beds?

While few things seem better than drifting off to sleep with your baby in your arms, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against co-sleeping because it increases safety risks and sleep problems for parents and children alike. While these risks generally decrease with age, it is important to establish good sleep habits for your child from the beginning and reinforce them as she grows. Children̵7;s sleep patterns and requirements will vary by age, but quality sleep is essential to children̵7;s overall development and wellbeing regardless of how old they are.

  1. Safety

    • Babies who sleep in their parents' beds with them at night or in a bed with other children are at an increased risk for suffocation and strangulation, due to an unaware parent or sibling rolling over or against the child while asleep. The KidsHealth website also advises that parents who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol are more likely to unwittingly strangle or suffocate children. Furthermore, parents who smoke and share a bed with children 2 years old and younger put them at increased risk of SIDS.

    Sleep Quality

    • Quality of sleep is diminished for both children and parents who sleep together in bed at night. According to a ̶0;Pediatrics̶1; journal study, both parents and children who shared a bed experienced more night waking than those who didn̵7;t. Children that share beds with their parents can have shorter, more fragmented sleep and become sleep deprived, which can lead to delayed development and problems with focus during waking hours.

    Sleep Troubles

    • Co-sleeping is often a difficult habit to break. As a child continues to share a bed with parents or siblings, it becomes increasingly difficult to get her to sleep independently. Children who share a bed are more likely to experience sleep resistance and childhood insomnia than children who sleep in their own beds.

    Ways to Prevent Bed-Sharing

    • The best way to encourage a child to sleep independently and prevent bed-sharing is to establish independent sleep habits during infancy. Infants should be placed into cribs while drowsy to encourage their ability to fall asleep on their own. The Children̵7;s Physician Network recommends that children be placed in their own bedroom by 3 or 4 months of age. By the time a child is 6 months old, you can give him a stuffed animal or other security item to promote independent sleeping as he grows.

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