Why is sleeping near the baby recommended?
A. There is a growing body of evidence showing the benefits of sleeping near the baby, rather than in a separate room. In the hospital, it has been shown that newborns who room-in with their mothers sleep more and cry less, and that mothers get the same amount of sleep whether they leave the baby in the nursery or keep the baby with them. Sleeping near the baby facilitates breastfeeding at the earliest signs of hunger, thus helping build milk supply. Parents should be advised to continue this practice, even after they leave the hospital. Bedsharing, in particular, has been shown to promote breastfeeding. There have been some concerns about bedsharing if not done safely. However, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine notes that there is insufficient evidence to routinely discourage co-sleeping. The ABM defines co-sleepers as those “who remain close enough for each to detect and potentially act on the sensory stimuli of the other, and this includes an infant sleeping alongside a parent o
