You want your baby to have a safe sleeping environment. Your baby deserves it. This also means you are a part of it. How can you ensure that your baby have a safe sleeping environment when you decided to cosleep? Co-sleeping is a parenting practice that encourages sharing sleep with toddlers (or even older children). While many parents do not practice co-sleeping because according to some it encourages dependence, one cannot deny the many benefits it yield.

Many parents here in Singapore practice co-sleeping because it encourages self-esteem and trust. It can also inspire family bonding. However, you need to make sure that the baby is safe when co-sleeping. Remember that adult beds are not designed to assure the safety of the infants. It is not enough that you just let your baby lay there. You have to ensure that you follow co-sleeping guidelines. Here are some guidelines that you have to follow:

No fluffy things allowed: It is nice to look at a baby surrounded with fluffy or stuffed animals. That’ll make them more adorable but it is not safe for them. They might get suffocated. You have to be sure that when they sleep, the bed should not be soft. Do not place the infant to sleep on top of a pillow.

Pick the right bed: The type of mattress matters. It is crucial. Sometimes what you feel comfortable will not work for infants so you have to be careful. For example, waterbeds can be dangerous to infants. When picking the right bed, choose tightly intersected bed frame that has no space or gaps. Never consider couches or sofa as they might slip.

Inform your partner: Do not put the infant in between the bed without informing your partner. Babies are tiny and fragile. What will happen to them if an adult accidentally slept on them? If you have other toddler children, do not put them together with the infant because it can cause many accidents. Be careful too if there is anyone sleeping with the infant who took heavy medications or sedatives.

Free yourself from obstruction: If you have long hair, it is advisable to tie before sleeping or have it cut. This is to prevent entanglement of the infant especially on his/her neck. Though the chances of this happening are remote, it still happens so you have to be careful.

At the end of the day, it depends on you what sleeping arrangement you have come up with. The important thing is the infant sleeps well and sound.