Can the baby sleep with mom and dad? Where is the best place for the baby to sleep after birth?

Many parents are confused after their babies are born. Should the baby sleep with the parents? Or does the baby need to have its own separate space? Sleeping together can better take care of the baby, but there is a fear of causing unintentional harm to the baby during sleep. So can the baby sleep with the parents? Let me tell you right away.

Can the baby sleep with the parents?

According to a report published by Medicalxpress titled "AAP announces new safe sleep recommendations to protect against SIDS", the latest statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) pointed out that in order to reduce the risk of sleep-related deaths, babies should sleep in the same room with their parents in the first year of life. But it should be noted that they should sleep in their own cribs or cradles.

According to statistics, about 3,500 infants die from sleep-related causes in the United States each year, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation and strangulation. Although the number of deaths caused by SIDS has stabilized in recent years, it is still the "main killer" of infants aged 1 month to 1 year old.

The AAP's new guidelines, published Oct. 24 in Pediatrics, recommend that infants sleep in the same room with their parents for six months to a year, but not in the same bed, if possible.

"Faced with the arrival of a new baby, parents may be overwhelmed," said Dr. Rachel Y. Moon, who led the publication of the new guidelines. "We hope to provide these parents with clear and simple guidance to answer their confusion about how and where their baby should sleep."

The AAP's recommendations for creating a safe sleep environment for infants include: 1) placing infants on their backs in a stable sleep environment, such as a crib or bassinet; 2) avoiding the use of soft bedding, such as crib bumpers (cribbumpers), blankets, pillows, and stuffed toys; 3) sleeping in the same room as parents, but in a different bed, preferably until infants are 1 year old, or at least for the first 6 months; and 4) keeping children away from tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs.

In addition, breastfeeding is also recommended as an additional protection against SIDS. After breastfeeding, the AAP encourages parents to move their child to his or her own separate sleeping space. "Even if there is a remote possibility that the child may fall asleep while breastfeeding, it is recommended that the mother feed the child in bed rather than on the couch or chair," said Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, who helped publish the recommendations.

Other recommendations in the report include providing babies with a pacifier at nap time and bedtime and ensuring that babies receive all recommended vaccinations.

There are some tips for sleeping in separate rooms with your children

1. If conditions permit, try to keep your child's room within your sight so that you can observe your child at any time;

2. When you first start sleeping in separate rooms, be sure to accompany your child and hug him/her before going to bed;

3. Tell your child a story or read a book with him/her before bedtime, so that he/she can prepare himself/herself for falling asleep;

4. Try not to get too excited before your child goes to bed, don’t watch TV, and don’t criticize or scold your child before going to bed;

5. Let your child empty his bladder before going to bed and try not to get up at night;

6. Tell your child that your door will not be locked and that he will get help whenever he needs it;

7. When a child is sick or encounters setbacks, parents can sleep with the child temporarily and let the child sleep alone after the child recovers.

Sleeping in separate rooms will affect children's independence

Some experience suggests that if parents sleep with their children for a long time, it may hinder their children from developing independence.

In fact, there is not necessarily a direct connection between the two.

Looking back to when we were young, many families did not have the conditions to sleep in separate rooms, but our parents might focus on cultivating our independence in other aspects.

In fact, we cannot simply say that not sleeping in separate rooms will lead to children being dependent on themselves in the future. It is a combination of various factors that will affect the overall personality development of the child.

Are there any possible harms of not dividing rooms?

The real direct impact of not sleeping in separate rooms is the relationship between husband and wife.

Taking good care of children does not mean that a family can be maintained. In society, cases of families falling apart due to children's ignorance are rare, but divorce cases due to escalating conflicts between couples (especially shortly after childbirth) are common.