See also The First Trimester for more information on infant sleep in the first three months
Cosleeping & Sleep Development
Co-sleeping is an umbrella term embracing breastsleeping, bed-sharing and room-sharing as a child’s typical sleep space.We believe it is normal and natural for breastfeeding children to sleep alongside their mother. Infants fed infant formula should sleep in the same room as their primary caregiver for at least the first 6-12 months. We believe there is no type of sleep training which is supportive of breastfeeding or compatible with gentle parenting.
• All babies should room-share with their mother for the first 6-12 months, as recommended to reduce SIDS risk. Where safe to do so, bed-sharing is the preferred choice for breastfed babies in non smoking households.
• Co-sleeper bassinets, side-carred cots and family beds are all supported.
• Babies should also be in the same room as their mother for day-time sleeps during the first 6-12 months. Co-napping, babywearing or contact napping are ways to achieve this.
• Parental support to sleep is considered normal in infancy and beyond. We do not support night weaning.
• Extinction methods of sleep training - Cry It Out, Controlled Crying and other techniques intended to sever the infant/mother bond during the night - are never supported in any circumstance in our community.
Toddlers Don’t Sleep Through the Night Either!
In the first year of parenthood, the most commonly asked question must surely be: “Does your baby sleep through the night?”. As many as one third of parents admit to lying about their babies sleep patterns, fearing judgement of family and friends if they tell it how it is.
Yet evidence supporting the normality of night waking throughout the first years of life continues to grow, challenging western beliefs that waking and feeding during the night gradually decrease after the early weeks. In fact, periods of increased waking - inappropriately labelled “sleep regressions” - continue throughout the first and second year.
Is Junk Sleep really a Thing?
In his book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child," baby sleep expert Marc Weissbluth, M.D., warns about the concept of "junk sleep." This term refers to poor sleep quality that babies may experience if they do not follow a consistent sleep routine and sleep in their own beds. Weissbluth emphasizes the importance of establishing a regular sleep schedule to avoid the long-term effects of unhealthy sleep habits. He suggests that children who don't learn to sleep well may struggle with sleep as adults. Weissbluth presents a structured approach based on a child's natural sleep patterns to cultivate beneficial sleep habits. The book, first published in 1987 makes some alarming statements: