Co-Sleeping: Helpful or Harmful?

Co-sleeping refers to a sleeping arrangement where children sleep in close proximity to their caregivers, either in the same bed or just in the same room. The practice of co-sleeping has long been one of the most controversial areas of parenting research, with some studies pointing to its dangers and others praising its physical and psychological benefits. So what's the answer? Let's take a deeper look to help determine whether or not co-sleeping is the right decision for you and your family.

Is Co-Sleeping Safe?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly recommends avoiding bed-sharing for at least the first 6 months of an infant's life, and ideally for the first year in order to decrease the risk of suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). As an alternative, the AAP recommends room-sharing where the infant is in the same room as caregivers but on a different sleeping surface to allow for closeness and security while minimizing the risks of bed-sharing.

However, the older a child gets the less risky it is to bed-share, and after the age of 1 the practice is generally considered to be safe. While co-sleeping is incredibly common in many cultures throughout the world, it has been less prevalent for American families in recent history. Results of a new study (2025) from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine however, show that co-sleeping may be becoming increasingly common, with 46% of parents saying they sometimes, often or always co-sleep with a child under the age of 18.

Benefits of Co-Sleeping

One main benefit of co-sleeping is convenience. Many families may be limited on space and it works better for them to have one designated bedroom where everyone sleeps. If the child is breastfeeding, having them nearby can make middle of the night or early morning feedings easier and more peaceful on mom and child.

Another reason that parents may choose to co-sleep is for bonding purposes. While the research does not show any significant difference in attachment between children who co-sleep or sleep independently, many parents enjoy the extra time snuggling their children to sleep. This can be especially true for parents who have unusual work schedules and may only get time with their child as they are drifting off to sleep.

Lastly, many families choose co-sleeping to avoid the bedtime battles of getting their child to sleep independently. They may find it more preferable to let their child sleep with them than it is to deal with the stress of tantrums and middle of the night awakenings.

Drawbacks to Co-Sleeping

One drawback to co-sleeping is the possibility of poorer sleep quality. In a 2015 study, Volkovich et al. found that mothers of co-sleeping infants reported more infant night awakenings and experienced poorer sleep than mothers of infants who slept independently. In another study from 2017, Covington et al. found that mothers who co-slept with toddlers who were having sleep difficulties, slept an average of 51 less minutes per night.

Another factor to consider is the consequences of co-sleeping on mental health. The same 2017 study found that the mothers who co-slept with toddlers had higher reported levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. After being depended on all day, many parents may feel "touched out" and desire some space to themselves at night.

Lastly, co-sleeping may interfere with alone time between partners and have a negative impact on the relationship. In order to avoid this it is helpful for both partners to be on the same page about whether or not to let their child co-sleep, and work together to prioritize one on one quality time together.

Takeaways

As long as your child is over 1 year, there does not appear to be a safety risk associated with co-sleeping. While there may be some individualized benefits including convenience, increased bonding time, and avoidance of bedtime stress, research has also demonstrated possible downsides including lower sleep amounts, increased maternal mental health issues, and negative impact on partner relationship if both partners are not on the same page with wanting to co-sleep.

Ultimately, the question of whether or not to co-sleep is a deeply personal one that only you and your family can determine. As long as everyone is getting age appropriate amounts of sleep and happy with the situation, then it can be a perfectly viable long term option. However, if you find that co-sleeping is leading to poor quality of sleep, stress, or relationship difficulties, it may be time to think about making the transition toward your child sleeping independently.

Keep an eye out for future blog posts where we will detail several different methods of gently teaching your child how to fall asleep more independently at bedtime, whether choosing to co-sleep or not.

References

Ella Volkovich, Hamutal Ben-Zion, Daphna Karny, Gal Meiri, Liat Tikotzky,

Sleep patterns of co-sleeping and solitary sleeping infants and mothers: a longitudinal study,

Sleep Medicine, Volume 16, Issue 11, 2015, Pages 1305-1312

Covington, Lauren B. MS, RN*; Armstrong, Bridget PhD†; Black, Maureen M. PhD†,‡. Perceived Toddler Sleep Problems, Co-sleeping, and Maternal Sleep and Mental Health. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics 39(3):p 238-245, April 2018. | DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000535