baby co sleeper

No matter how long you’ve been co-sleeping — or the reasons that brought you to the long-done sleep practice in the first place — there will come a time when you know it’s time to stop co-sleeping.

Maybe your little one has grown out of their bedside sleeper. Or maybe you’re starting to sense that everyone in the family (your little one included!) would get better rest if they were in a crib or room of their own.

Let’s get this out of the way from the get-go: no matter the “why” behind the timing, only you know when it’s the right time to stop co-sleeping.

Luckily, transitioning your little one away from this sleep practice doesn’t need to be a struggle. And it doesn’t need to be a “take months until you’re all desperate for sleep” kind of thing.

With a few gentle tips and pre-transition tricks, you’ll be able to easily nurture your baby into rest in their new crib or room. Without having to feel stressed out while doing it.

Know Your Where and Why

If you’re feeling like you need to do all the research, get the whole process down, and be fully “in the know” when it comes to easing the transition from co-sleeping before finally giving it a go: we get it.

It can be easy to over-invest in the “how-tos” behind a milestone like this. Or worry about whether getting it wrong will lead to mornings of bleary eyes for you and hard nights of tears for your little one.

But here’s the real secret behind making the transition from co-sleeping easier: give up on the over-Googling, and get in tune with your where and why. 

Instead of trying to learn every little thing there is to know about how to stop co-sleeping as a first step in the process, prepare for this next important milestone by taking stock of where your baby is in their developmental journey. As well as why your family believes that transitioning from co-sleeping is the right next step for you.

Your where and why are valuable guides that will help you determine the best and smoothest transition strategy for you and your family.

So that you can make things easy from the first night. Instead of dealing with months of exhaustion and frustration as you try out whatever method a well-meaning relative or friend told you is “right.” (With little to no success, we might add.)

How to Stop Co-sleeping: What to Know About Your “Where”

If you’ve been co-sleeping with your baby through the first months of their life (as many parents do with the help of a bedside sleeper), then you’ll likely find that your baby’s developmental milestones are what’s driving you to switch up your sleep practice.

For some families, the time to stop co-sleeping comes when their baby becomes mobile enough to easily crawl, roll, or scoot out of the safety of their made-just-for-them sleep space and into the plusher bedding of their parent’s bed. 

Safe co-sleeping tools like bedside co-sleepers are designed to nurture your baby in the protective and supported embrace of a made-just-for-them mattress. On the flip side, the plush bedding that adults prefer — which can include things like mattress pads, thick blankets, and layers of snuggly warmth — can easily wrap around your baby or leave their body unsupported through the night. 

If you’re transitioning away from co-sleeping because your baby is starting to enter the exciting time in their life when they’re learning to roll and crawl, then you may be simply looking to move your baby away from your bed but not fully out of your room. 

The “where” of where you want your baby’s final sleep destination to be can help you decide what transition strategy will work best to try. 

If they’re simply moving to a crib on the other side of your room, then you might find it easier to go “all-in” with getting your little one used to their new sleep set-up. While moving them to a nursery down the hall might mean introducing a little extra prep work into your pre-transition strategy.

What to Do with Your Where: Easing the Transition from Co-Sleeping

If you’re simply moving your baby further away from your bed (but keeping them in your room with you):

Start by pushing your little one’s new baby bassinet or crib against your bed. Instead of keeping them side-by-side with you through the night, let them learn to rest for a few nights in their new sleep space: while you still remain within easy reach.

As your baby becomes increasingly comfortable in their new set-up, move your baby’s crib father and farther across the room.

By doing this process slowly, you’ll give your baby the time they need to gain confidence that having you out of reach doesn’t mean that they aren’t being looked after and loved all night long.

Keep this gentle distancing strategy going until your baby has gained a full sense of peace with their new way of sleeping.

If you’re planning to move your baby to a nursery:

If you’re moving your little one to a nursery down the hall — or are closing out your co-sleeping journey when they’re a little older in age — then you might find it helpful to do even more pre-work to prepare your little one for the transition.

Help your get on a consistent sleep routine, with pre-bedtime rituals that leave them feeling perfectly rested but not over-tired.

If they’re a little older in age, you might also start with books or pre-bedtime chats that help them see the many exciting things they can expect now that they’ve hit this new milestone in their co-sleeping journey (a room of their own! a new crib! oh my!).

By getting consistent with a pre-bedtime routine, you’ll set your little one up to be comfy and relaxed as they sail toward bedtime.

Meanwhile, stirring up excitement for your little one’s new sleeping adventure in advance can help them understand that moving into a room of their own is a natural (and much-awaited!) next step as they grow big and strong. 

How to Stop Co-sleeping: Know Your Why

There are many reasons why parents might decide that now is the time to stop co-sleeping.

Whether you’re looking for a little more privacy during the night. Are worried that your child has outgrown your current co-sleeping set-up. Or just feel like the time is “right”: knowing the reasoning behind your decision will help you choose a method for stopping co-sleeping that works perfectly for your family. 

Going “Cold Turkey”

Parents looking for a little more privacy might be more inclined to try the “cold turkey” method, where one night your bedroom simply becomes “off the table” as a sleeping option.

We won’t sugarcoat it: going “cold turkey” might leave you rocking and rolling through some resistance the first few nights.

However, being firm and consistent in your decision to stop co-sleeping will help your baby learn that their new room is a safe and secure space to sleep (even if you aren’t always right by their side).

The Slow and Steady Approach

On the other hand, parents who have been prepping for a transition away from co-sleeping for a while now might find that a slower and more methodical approach (like slowly moving your baby’s crib or baby more and more distanced from your own) leads to quieter and less stressful nights of rest for all.

(This is especially true for parents who have been watching their baby hit come closer to developmental milestones for a while, with full understanding that they’re making their way toward independence quickly.)

If you’re not in a rush to quit co-sleeping, then coming up with a game plan —by outlining how and when you’ll slowly transition baby away from co-sleeping — can help make the process a smooth one. 

Plan out small changes you can make each night that will ultimately build to baby’s full sleeping independence. 

This might mean deciding how far you’ll move their crib from your bed every night, or coming up with a plan to sleep on a mattress beside your baby’s crib for a few nights before leaving them to try out their new space fully on their own. 

The Most Important Thing to Remember

No matter when you make the transition, know one thing: how to stop co-sleeping depends on the needs of your baby and family. 

So rather than looking for the “right” method, simply continue to ask yourself: is this plan right for us? 

Keeping that question at the top of your mind will make sure that this next step in your co-sleeping journey is a smooth and exciting time for all.

Experts agree: sleeping close to your baby during the first year of their life helps keep your newborn safe and comforted as they attune themselves to the many sensorial and physical curiosities they’ll encounter as they grow. But how does co-sleeping (and the question: How do I co-sleep safely?) fit into that?

(Stick with us — because we’re about to break down how to co-sleep safely!)

During the first months of your baby’s life, they’re not the only ones adjusting to new experiences.

As a new mom or dad, you’re getting used to your little one sleeping beside you. Getting familiar with the soothing flutter of their eyes. And the way they gently coo when they fall asleep.

You’re also getting used to the feeling of having a little baby within arm’s reach all through the night: which offers just as much comfort as it does challenges for new parents.

So let’s talk about how to co-sleep through safe co-sleeping: One of the best ways to soak up more hours of rest each night. While also giving your baby all the psychological and physical support they need to grow big and strong.

Co-Sleeping Positions: The Safe and the Less Safe

There are many ways to co-sleep, each as unique as the family that practices them. 

However, not all co-sleeping techniques put the same emphasis on safety. 

Though bed-sharing and co-sleeping are often seen as interchangeable, big safety differences separate them. 

Well-designed bedside co-sleepers and other similar safe sleep tools make it easy for you to get a full night of stress-free rest. How? They follow recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (or AAP) by helping you easily keep your baby close during the first months of their life.

But depending on the company who lovingly crafts them, they also come back by some of the strictest safety certifications (including highly-regarded ones like ASTM International or TÜV Rheinland). 

Unlike with a practice like bed-sharing, these safe sleep tool give your baby a firm, built-for-them space to sleep. One that keeps them close to your made-for-adults mattress, without you having to worry about them getting wrapped in the too-soft bedding that doesn’t properly support them yet. 

Why Does the Difference Between C0-Sleeping and Bed-Sharing Matter?

When bed-sharing with a newborn, all it takes is one wrong wiggle for baby to end up tangled in too-soft bedding or covered by pillows or blankets that they can’t quite crawl out from yet. 

Luckily, safe sleep tools like baby co-sleepers fit flush against your own bed (keeping you right beside your baby all through the night!) and give your newborn baby a secure space to sleep comfortably. 

Bedside co-sleepers will give you with all the benefits that co-sleeping has to offer—like better bonding between you and baby, supported development for baby’s body and mind, and a better rest for all — without the concerns about safety.  

Which is what we like to call a perfect co-sleep scenario. 

Keep Your Newborn Baby Comfortable While Co-Sleeping 

Not all co-sleepers are created equal. 

Think of it like this: when adults walk into a mattress store, they have a list of preferences that could be a mile long. 

Not too soft, not too firm, built for back pain, hypoallergenic, all foam, no latex, pillow-top… 

It often takes a few hours in the store and a few dozen tested-out mattresses to find the meant-to-be one that works for you. 

Just because your newborn hasn’t quite mastered the syllables they need to clue you into what they find comfiest doesn’t mean they don’t have an opinion. 

That’s why it’s important to find a bedside co-sleeper specifically designed and customized with your baby in mind. 

The babybay co-sleeper is designed in a half-moon shape to mimic the protective feeling of being cradled in a hug and constructed from all-natural materials that are friendly both to the earth and to baby’s body. 

(Yep, most co-sleepers and cribs are made with toxic chemicals, glues, and finishes that can put baby’s healthy development at risk.)

babybay co-sleepers are also easily customizable with three size options and accessories like hypoallergenic mattresses, mattress covers, canopies, and 100% cotton jersey sheets that take all of the guesswork out of maximizing baby’s coziness and comfort. 

Keep Yourself Comfortable While Co-Sleeping 

We’re parents too, so we get it: as soon as baby comes, their comfort becomes priority #1. 

But it can be difficult to keep your baby comfortable if you’re not feeling well or well-rested yourself.

That’s why making time for some self-care during the early months of baby’s life is an important part of learning how to co-sleep with your newborn. 

Being well-rested allows you to put more attention and energy into making sure that baby has everything they need to sleep through the night soundly. 

It’s also easier to enjoy and appreciate all the special moments you share with baby—like those oh-so-sweet moments when you’re lying next to baby’s bedside co-sleeper and watching them fall slowly into dreamland—when you aren’t desperately devoting all your energy to simply keeping your eyes open. 

Thankfully, baby co-sleeper crib like the babybay can help you get better, longer, and more restful sleep than traditional cribs or other (and less safe) co-sleeping methods.

With baby so close by, nighttime nursing becomes a breeze (rather than a must-do that sucks up many valuable minutes of sleep time). 

By sleeping so close to baby, you’ll also be able to be more aware of (and responsive toward!) any concerns that baby has through the night. 

That means less time spent in high-energy adrenaline mode trying to discover how to help, and more time spent identifying and caring for baby’s needs the fast and peaceful way. 

Because here’s the truth: your baby is growing bigger every day 

Sooner than you would believe, they’ll be ready to move out of their bedside co-sleeper into a crib or room all their own. 

Instead of spending these early moments in baby’s life worrying about how to co-sleep with your newborn baby, let the babybay co-sleeper help set your mind at ease so you can spend less time stressing and more time appreciating every moment—waking and sleeping!—with your newborn.

Here’s a fast fact that may surprise you (or may not surprise you, depending on how many newborns you’ve cared for over the years): by the age of two, most children will have spent more time asleep than they’ve spent awake.

But as any parent of a newborn baby knows, figuring out how to help your baby sleep through the night can be a challenge. Because though your baby might love escaping to dreamland, that doesn’t mean they’re good at catching Z’s on your schedule. 

Luckily, there are a few tricks to put your baby to sleep that will help the whole family enjoy a better night of rest. Here are 4 of our sleep-giving favorites: 

1. Discover Baby Sleep Cues

When your baby is tired, they’ll tell you. 

Okay, it might not be quite that easy! But every baby has sleep cues that will clue you in that they’re in need of some rest. 

Catching these clues is key. Because when it comes to how to make baby sleep at night, things can get tricky when your baby skips over “tired” and heads straight toward “over-tired.” 

Though it might seem counterintuitive, it can be difficult to calm an over-tired baby down and settle into sleep. And by “difficult,” we mean 100% harder than if you catch your baby’s need for sleep right as it’s hitting the “I’m ready for bed” stage.

Not only is it often a challenge to put an over-tired baby to sleep, but over-tired babies can actually have a harder time staying asleep once they’ve finally closed their eyes.

Feeding will also become the last thing they want to do, often leading to a few more mid-night wake up calls than you want to take on as a sleepy parent. Which means both their sleep schedule and feed schedule could get disrupted when you miss their baby sleep cues, and yours could too.  

How to recognize your own baby’s sleep cues:

Baby sleep cues can vary from kiddo to kiddo.

But if your baby is yawning, acting over-quiet or over-calm, is seeming fussy, is rubbing their eyes, seems disinterested, or is less social than normal, it might be a sign that they’re ready for sleep. 

The most important thing is to start paying attention to your baby’s patterns and recognizing when changes in behavior are a sign it’s time for them to get rest. 

Helping your baby get proper amounts of sleep during the day will also help them be less over-tired at night, while more easily cluing you in to whether or not those changes in behavior are just a little late-day grumpiness…or a clear sign that it’s time to get cuddled up in their baby bed. 

2. Help Baby Sleep Through the Night With the Perfect Baby Bedtime Routine

During the first few months with your baby, it might feel like getting your baby to sleep at night is the top priority no matter what you have to do to make it happen. 

If you’re feeling in “sleep survival mode” while running on just a few short hours of shut-eye yourself, it can be easy to rely on rocking baby to sleep as a way of getting your little one to snooze as quickly as possible. 

However, these aren’t always sustainable ways of getting your baby to sleep at night. In the long run, your baby can become reliant on that pre-bedtime feed or pre-bedtime rock as a way of dropping off to dreamland. 

And while this works fine for some families and some babies, other parents discover that their sleep is more interrupted and harder to get when their baby has a nursing-to-sleep association or depends on being rocked to sleep. 

As your baby passes the 2-3 month mark, you’ll start to understand their sleep patterns better. 

Which is why this is a good time to find other ways to clue your baby in that it’s time to get some rest.

Consider putting together a bedtime routine that soothes your baby through gentle cuddling, snuggling, singing, or quiet reading. 

If you keep consistent about performing your chosen routine right before bedtime, your baby will begin to understand that these mean it’s time for them to get some sleep — so you can get some sleep too!

3. Get Baby to Sleep at Night By Helping Them Differentiate Between Day and Night 

When your baby is first born, they don’t really know the difference between day and night. (And for good reason! They’ve spent the last 9 months in the womb, after all.)

They need to learn when the best time of day to rest is, and how to know when it’s time to be awake. 

(In technical terms: they need help developing a healthy circadian rhythm, which is the internal clock that helps us know when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to be awake in the world).

One of the best tricks to get baby to sleep is to adapt their environment so that the difference between day and night is clear. 

Leave the windows open to let light in during the day, and keep these daytime hours as the most energetic and social ones you’ll spend with your baby. 

As the night comes, start to dim the lights, do calming activities like putting on light music, and hold off on giving your baby as much social time. 

Over time, your baby will start to understand that there are differences between night and day, while feeling more encouraged to be calm and restful during those dark and quiet nighttime hours. 

4. Use a Baby Co-Sleeper or Bedside Crib 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room sharing (or sleeping in the same room as your baby) for at least the first year of their life. 

And that’s for good reason: the AAP recognizes how important close contact (including skin-to-skin contact) is for helping your baby feel safe and secure. 

There are plenty of benefits that come from sleeping close to your baby with a baby co-sleeper or bedside crib.

In addition to giving your baby a feeling of nurturing support that lasts all night long (and keeps them happily drifting in dreamland for long, peaceful stretches of hours at a time), a baby co-sleeper can make nighttime nursing easier by helping you give baby what they need —without there being too much disruption to your own sleep.

And if your baby needs calming during the night, you’ll be able to offer them comfort and love without even needing to leave the bed. 

Meaning you’ll help baby sleep through the night — without having to disrupt your own rest to do it (which is a definite win-win!). 

If you search for “co sleeping” in the dictionary, you’ll probably find a definition that looks like this one (courtesy of Merriam-Webster): co sleeping is “the practice of sleeping in the same bed or close by in the same room with one’s child.”

Seems simple enough to understand, doesn’t it? 

But in truth, this definition doesn’t even begin to answer the question What does co sleeping mean?

Because this definition groups three very different sleeping practices—bed sharing, room sharing, and co sleeping—under the same “co sleeping” umbrella. 

To get a more accurate answer to the question What does co sleeping mean?, it’s important to understand the differences between these three sleeping practices. (Because yep — they’re all different and all come with differing degrees of safety attached.)

Once you understand the pros and cons associated with each, it will become easier to decide whether enjoying the benefits of co sleeping is the right next step for your family.

Co Sleeping, Bed Sharing, and Room Sharing: How Are They Different? 

“Co sleeping” is often used as the catch-all term for describing the experience of sleeping close to your baby.

However, co sleeping with the help of a safe bedside co sleeper is a very different experience than practicing more general room sharing or bed sharing. When people use the term “co sleeping,” they’re likely referring to one of two fairly different sleep practices: room sharing or bed sharing. 

Because it can be easy for all this different terminology to get kind of (or very!) confusing, here’s a quick breakdown of the similarities and differences:

“Room sharing” refers to instances when baby is invited to sleep in the same room as their parents—but on a different sleeping surface. When parents choose to sleep in their own bed with their baby catching Z’s in a crib or baby bassinet nearby, they are participating in room sharing.

“Bed sharing” refers to the practice of not only inviting your baby or child into your room, but into your bed as well. When bed sharing, children and parents sleep together on the same mattress and share bedding.

So How Are They Different?

While a bed sharing setup helps parents take advantage of many co sleeping benefits (like feeling more bonded with baby by sleeping so close by), it can be difficult to guarantee safe co sleeping positions when you’re sharing a bed. 

That’s because the oh-so-soft mattresses and bedding that parents often prefer are not the safest choice for babies, especially when the baby is still so young that they are not easily able to untangle themselves if they’re accidentally covered by bedding. 

Parents who are unsure about whether bed sharing is the right practice for them often turn to bedside co sleepers (also called a bedside crib, along with a few other names) as a perfect solution.

Bedside co sleepers offer a blend of safety and closeness while giving both you and your baby a perfect made-just-for-you place to enjoy the night and sleep tight.

So What’s the Deal with Bedside Co Sleepers and Bedside Cribs?

When you practice co-sleeping with the right bedside crib, you’re able to enjoy all the benefits of bed-sharing, without the safety concerns that sharing a bed with your baby can bring. 

This type of safe co-sleeping is sometimes referred to as separate-surface co-sleeping, and involves sleeping on your own mattress with your baby safely cuddled in a bedside baby co sleeper, baby bassinet, or crib pushed against your bedside.

By using safe co sleeping solutions like the babybay bedside co sleeper, you get to enjoy the plush and comfy bedding and mattress you prefer, while your baby enjoys a made-just-for-them crib mattress and sleeping space all their own. 

Which means you’ll be able to co sleep soundly, knowing that your baby is feeling supported by a firm mattress that is perfect for their growing body, while being comforted by the feeling of having you no more than an arm’s reach away. 

Co Sleeping Benefits: What Positive Experiences Should You Expect? 

The connection between baby and mother doesn’t end the moment that baby is delivered. In fact, experts agree that babies and their caregivers remain physiologically connected to each other in complicated but powerful ways following birth. 

As anthropologist James J. McKenna found, babies who sleep close to their caregivers wake up more frequently, but those wakings are also less disruptive than when they are catching Z’s further away. 

Parents who are sleeping beside their baby are very aware of and receptive towards these moments of wakefulness, which and will often take a moment to offer touch, check for crisis, hug, or otherwise support their baby in quick but loving ways. 

These loving touches go a long way in helping baby settle their stress levels and breathe easy, which positively supports their psychological and physical growth. 

But beyond these moments of nurturing, co sleeping makes nighttime nursing easier, and helps the whole family get longer, more restful nights of sleep by making it simple to know when baby needs support and offer the proper care. (Which is good news, because if there’s one thing that all parents could use more of—it’s sleep!)

Separate-Surface Co-Sleeping: What’s the Best Sleeper to Use? 

There are many different co-sleepers out there that can be used for separate-surface co-sleeping, but not all of them are gold-star status when it comes to ease, safety, and comfort.

The babybay bedside co sleeper is specially engineered to fit snugly against your own bed, meaning you don’t even have to leave your mattress or reach over awkward crib bars to care for your baby during the night. 

And because babybay considers your baby’s safety and comfort as Priority #1, you can be confident that baby will feel secure and supported when cuddled into the half-moon shape designed to mimic the warm embrace of a hug. 

Meaning that your baby will feel more than happy to settle into dreamland with you by their side, while you catch some much-needed Z’s of your own—knowing that you’ve found the answers to What does co-sleeping mean? and have a sleeping solution that delivers big co sleeping benefits while delivering peace of mind.