Sleep essentials if you are a co-sleeping new parent

Co-sleeping is a practice that involves sleeping close to your baby. It is a common practice in different parts of the world including India and Japan. 

Co-sleeping has been a controversial topic for ages. Many pediatricians did not recommend co-sleeping for families as it possesses a higher risk of suffocation, SIDS and other sleep-related death in infants. While some breastfeeding experts advocate co-sleeping as it promotes breastfeeding and reduces fatigue in new parents. Co-sleeping can have different types of arrangements like sharing a room, using a co-sleeper bassinet, family bed etc. Parents can choose any arrangement as per their individual preferences. 

 Here are some amazing benefits of co-sleeping for babies and parents. 

Benefits of co-sleeping

• Co-sleeping helps in sleeping better to babies and parents. With co-sleeping, parents can keep a check on their babies without being fully woken up.
• Next, it encourages breastfeeding and facilitates easy breastfeeding at night.
• Co-sleeping assists in smooth physiological functioning and helps in regulating body temperature and breathing patterns in babies.
• It also offers psychological benefits and helps in building a strong bond between mother and baby.
• Furthermore, co-sleeping is also helpful in reducing stress hormone levels in new moms.

If you are a new parent and thinking about adopting a co-sleeping pattern for your family, then it is important to include certain bed essentials in your sleep routine. These bed essentials make your co-sleeping experience pleasant and help you sleep better as a family. 

What are some important bed essential for co-sleeping for new parents? Read on to know more.

Bed essentials for co-sleeping for new parents 

Here are some important bed essentials that help new parents co-sleep with their baby.  

A firm mattress with a fitted sheet 

Having a good surface for sleeping is one of the most important bed essentials which help in comfortable co-sleeping. Firm mattresses with fitted sheets are the best option for co-sleeping. A firm mattress surface provides proper support and helps you sleep better at night. If you use a soft or saggy mattress for co-sleeping, it increases the risk of injury and suffocation. Also, there are higher chances of overheating with a soft mattress.

You can use a natural organic latex mattress for your family for co-sleeping. Besides being a sustainable option, a natural organic latex mattress offers various health benefits and improves sleep quality too.

Moreover, experts suggest avoiding memory foam mattress for co-sleeping as it offers a sink-in feeling and may cause chemical off-gassing while co-sleeping. 

Mattress protector 

A mattress protector is the next important bed essential for sleeping. Leaks and spills are common when you have a new baby at home. These things not only increase parental stress but ruin the mattress as well. 

Using a mattress protector not only helps in protecting your mattress against accidental spills but also keeps your mattress free from allergens and bacterial growth. A good quality mattress protector reduces various parental anxieties related to mattress safety while co-sleeping and helps in creating a more hygienic sleeping environment for new babies. 

Bed rails and bed bumper

Bed rails are another important bed essential that helps in co-sleeping. Bed rails act as safety gear and prevent the falling of infants from the bedside. You can buy a portable bed rail which can be easily used at various places (travelling etc.) and help in ensuring a safe and secure sleeping environment while co-sleeping. 

Additionally, you can also use a bed bumper if you sleep on a floor bed. Bed bumpers separate the space between sleeping individuals and create a proper sleeping space while co-sleeping. 

Avoid using bed bumpers with infants as it possesses an increased risk of suffocation. For older babies or toddlers bed bumpers are the best option to improve sleep quality while co-sleeping.

Night light (breastfeeding light)

A night light is the next bedding essential that helps in peaceful co-sleeping. Nightlights provide a dim light which helps in various functions like changing diapers, breastfeeding and keeping a check on babies. Red night light is one of the most popular night light options for co-sleeping. It helps in increasing melatonin and improve sleep quality.

Cotton Blanket

Experts suggest it is important to remove all extra pillows and blankets from the bed, while co-sleeping. Removing extra stuff from the bed creates a proper sleeping surface and helps in creating a restful sleeping environment. You can either use a wearable blanket for your babies or you can use a simple cotton blanket too. Try to use lightweight blankets while co-sleeping. Heavy blankets may put pressure on infants and increase the risk of suffocation. 

White noise machine 

White noise can be another excellent bed essential while co-sleeping with your baby. White noise machines mask the various natural sounds like waterfalls, nature etc. and help babies fall asleep. 

However, remember that white noise machine is not suitable for every baby. You must perform a trial-and-error process to know whether a white noise machine is a suitable option for your baby or not. As another disadvantage, some babies develop a dependency on white noise machines for sleeping which is not a good thing in the long run.

So, these are some important bed essentials for co-sleeping for new parents.