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Room Sharing & Co-Sleeping Safety
“Co-sleeping” gets used to describe two different practices with very different safety guidance — sharing a room and sharing a bed. Here’s what the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC actually recommend for each, in plain terms.
- KEY TAKEAWAYS
The AAP and CDC recommend room sharing — keeping your baby’s crib or bassinet in your room, on its own separate surface — for at least the first 6 months, which can lower SIDS risk by as much as 50%. Bed sharing, where a baby sleeps on the same surface as an adult, is not recommended by the AAP under any circumstances.
Room Sharing: What It Means and Why It's Recommended
Room sharing means your baby sleeps in the same room as you, on their own separate, firm sleep surface — a crib, bassinet, or play yard set up next to your bed — rather than in a different room entirely. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room sharing for at least the first 6 months, noting that it can decrease the risk of SIDS by as much as 50%. Being in the same room makes it easier to feed, comfort, and check on your baby overnight without needing to share a sleep surface.
Bed Sharing: What It Means and the AAP's Position
Bed sharing means a baby sleeps on the same surface as a parent or another person — most often an adult bed. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, bed sharing with your baby is not recommended under any circumstances. Adult beds typically have soft mattresses, pillows, and loose bedding that increase the risk of suffocation and entrapment, and it’s harder to control those hazards on a surface designed for adults rather than infant sleep.
This is a factual summary of current AAP guidance, not a judgment of any family’s choices — plenty of families bed-share for a range of reasons. The goal here is simply to represent what the AAP currently recommends accurately, in case it’s useful information as you decide what’s right for your household.
Why the Terms Get Confused
“Co-sleeping” is often used loosely to mean either room sharing or bed sharing, and that ambiguity can blur two practices with meaningfully different safety guidance. This guide uses “room sharing” and “bed sharing” specifically, rather than the broader term “co-sleeping,” to keep the distinction clear.
Setting Up a Room-Sharing Sleep Space
Place a crib, bassinet, or play yard within easy reach of your bed, following the same safety standards as any other sleep space — see our Crib Safety Guide for the specifics. Keeping it close by is meant to make nighttime feeding and comforting easier without needing your baby on your own sleep surface.
Sources
This guide is based on published guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep recommendations (via HealthyChildren.org) and the CDC’s safe sleep guidance on room sharing versus bed sharing.