Bedside Cosleeper
A bedside cosleeper attaches to your adult bed. It's safe as long as you comply with the CSPC safety guidelines for infant sleep spaces.
These guidelines are similar to crib bedding standards. You can read more about these guidelines here. When choosing a bedside sleeping device, safety, comfort, and convenience are the main aspects to take into consideration.
Safety
Many new parents and pregnant mothers have embraced cosleeping, also known as bed-sharing, in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that infants should sleep in the same room as their parents. The Academy states that room-sharing is safer than sleeping with babies in the same bed since it decreases the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (also known as SIDS). While the AAP discourages bed-sharing however, it does recommend that cosleeping be done on a separate sleep surface to minimize the risk of SIDS. This is why the introduction of the bedside cosleeper was so important to many families.
A bedside cosleeper can be described as a crib-like sleeper that is attached to an adult bed frame. The bedside cosleeper enables parents to easily monitor their baby, and it gives them the freedom of sleeping in a bed while keeping their child close to them. The top cosleepers adhere to strict safety standards and are built with durable, high-quality components. Be sure to look for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) stamp of approval, which confirms rigorous testing of the product and quality controls, to ensure your child's secure cosleeping experience.
The safety of a cosleeper is dependent on several factors. This includes the way it's put in place and secured onto the parent's mattress. It is essential that the bedside sleeper be secured to the mattress of the parent in a manner that prevents gaps and spaces, in which an infant could be trapped. This could result in an entrapment risk. It is important that the attachment system of a bedside sleeper be tested to verify it can withstand the forces that may be applied in use, such as the parent rolling on and off of the sleeper or a 25-lb. horizontal force applied to the attachment system or corners of the bedside cosleeper.
The voluntary standard for bedside sleeping cribs incorporates, as a reference to the federal consumer safety standards for bassinets (16 CFR part 1218), including performance requirements for fabric-sided closed openings. The mandatory requirements of the standard also address neck and head dangers of entrapment by requiring that after the application and release of 50-lb. horizontal force near the attachment systems and at the corners of the bedside sleeping device, gaps larger than 1.0 in. is not allowed to be created. ASTM's electronic Reading Room offers read-only versions of the standard.
Convenience
While many parents have avoided cosleeping because of fears of suffocation, SIDS or the "Ferberization" process that forces children to be in a room by themselves Anthropologists have long observed that the majority of mammals and primates as well as those in non-Western societies, regularly co-slept. This may be because infants are soothed by the familiar voice of their mother, and it can also help to practice self-soothing.
The best bedside sleepers feature a clever design that attaches on the side of any mattress and swivels so you can easily access it for feedings or diaper changes during the middle of the night. Find a model with adjustable feet, which retract to accommodate various mattress sizes. It should also include an ample storage area to store all the baby's necessities.
Select a bedside sleeper that is compatible with standard crib bedding so that it can be used safely as your child grows. Consider a model that is convertible and can be used as a play area or a bassinet that is deeper. It will last for a long time.
Portability
Based on the dimensions of your bedroom, a bedside sleeping system with wheels and/or a lightweight base could be more convenient to move around the house than one that has frames made of wood or a large base. The babybay Bedside sleeper, HALO BassiNest Essentia and Snoo Smart Sleeper are all equipped with excellent portability features. Adjustable feet that retract to fit platforms; legs fold inward for maximum closeness to the mattress and a sidewalls made of 100% mesh that allow for air circulation without fabric covering the baby's nose or mouth.
bedside rocking crib is another excellent option that can be adjusted in 1" increments to fit most adult beds and can also be used as a portable bassinet. It also swivels, allowing easy access to your baby so that you can soothe, nurse or check on her at night.