Does co-sleeping have any effect on SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)?
Actually, it appears so! Studies have discovered that in cultures where co-sleeping is a common practice, SIDS rates are at their lowest. Conversely, where co-sleeping is least likely, the rate of SIDS is highest. These two facts have led researchers to suggest a strong link between co-sleeping and lower risk of SIDS. Why? Evidence suggests that some babies may have abnormal sleep patterns, or sleep apnoea, in which, during an unusually deep sleep, they forget to breathe. Co-sleeping may help address this problem via two paths. One is simply that, if a parent is nearby, any disturbances or problems with breathing are more likely to be noticed. Furthermore, evidence also suggests that babies may regulate themselves to the parent’s breathing patterns, so simply being close by may also help reduce your baby’s SIDS risk. BabyReference.com states that “The numbers in the largest study on co-sleeping around the world suggest that safe co-sleeping reduces SIDS!” Interestingly, the same site n
