If you bring your baby into your bed to feed or comfort them, place them in their own sleep space when you’re ready to go to sleep.
If there is any possibility that you might fall asleep while your baby is in your bed, make sure there are no pillows, sheets, blankets or any other items that could cover your baby’s face, head and neck or overheat them. As soon as you wake up, be sure to move your baby to their own bed.
Avoid falling asleep with your baby in other spots, too. The risk of sleep-related infant death is up to 67 times higher when infants sleep with someone on a couch, soft armchair or cushion.
It’s extra important not to bed share with your baby if:
- You have been drinking alcohol, used marijuana or taken any medicines or illicit drugs. The risk of sleep-related infant death is more than 10 times higher for babies who bed share with someone who is fatigued or has taken medications that make it harder for them to wake up; has used substances such as alcohol or drugs.
- Your baby is very young, small or was born prematurely. The risk of sleep-related infant death while bed sharing is 5 to 10 times higher when your baby is younger than 4 months olds. And the risk of sleep-related infant death is 2 to 5 times higher when your baby was born preterm or with low birth weight.
