bedside crib

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.

It’s no secret that bedside cribs and co-sleepers offer a host mind and body-boosting benefits, while helping the whole family get more restful nights of sleep. (Like making nighttime nursing easy and giving baby a healthy psychological and physiological development jumpstart — just to name a few of our faves!)

But you can enjoy an even bigger benefit boost by choosing a bedside co-sleeper that isn’t just safe and supportive for your little one, but is versatile as well. 

Because when your bedside crib can easily transform into a portable bassinet, you have even more flexibility when it comes to choosing how you’ll nurture your baby during their sleeping and waking hours— while also making things easier on you. 

The Pros of Using a Portable Bassinet 

A portable bassinet, a bedside crib, a bedside co-sleeper: there are plenty of options out there when it comes to choosing a place for your baby to rest their head and catch some Z’s.

But when it comes time to choose which will work best for your family, finding one that matches your lifestyle needs — as well as the needs of your little one — is key. 

How to Make Your Bedside Crib Moveable 

Though some families might decide that choosing a baby co-sleeper that securely attaches to their own bed might offer everything they need, others may find that choosing a more moveable option (like a wooden bassinet or bedside crib) is better for them. 

For parents who have a nursery space that they’re hoping to move baby into when the time eventually comes to transition from co-sleeping, having a bassinet with wheels lets them roll baby back and forth between rooms, helping baby become well-accustomed to both. 

A bassinet with wheels also allows you to move your baby to new rooms in the house without waking them. 

This can be a much-needed feature for families who want to keep baby close throughout the day without needing to rely on a baby monitor, stock up on extra products, or feel confined to the bedroom to do it. 

Your Baby Bassinet Makes It Easier to Offer Comfort 

A baby bassinet for bed is also perfect for families who find that their baby prefers to be rocked or swayed to keep calm throughout the night. 

Without needing to leave the warmth of your covers, you can easily reach over and comfort your baby with a rocking motion by gently moving your baby’s portable bassinet back and forth. 

Meaning you’ll be able to keep resting, even as you give your little one the kind of comfort that lets them happily drift back to dreamland!

Take an inside peek at how one family made their babybay mobile with the bassinet conversion kit — and loves the flexibility it offers!

Your Wooden Bassinet Will Keep Your Baby Cocooned 

Your baby has just spent 9 months in the womb. And though they might be excited to have all the adventures the world has to offer, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t going to be a transition period when they experience a little discomfort while getting used to their new environment. 

Traditional cribs are big. And while this might sound like a good thing at first (it gives my baby plenty of room to grow, right??), having too much extra space can be disorienting for some babies. 

But when you convert your babybay co-sleeper, into a wooden bassinet, you’re able to enjoy all the advantages of a bassinet or crib —while making it easier for your baby to sleep happily in the more familiar and comforting embrace of a smaller sleeping space. 

All babybay co-sleepers (including ones that have been transformed into a portable bassinet) are artfully designed to mimic the half-moon embrace of a hug (a shape your baby will be all-too-familiar with after growing in the womb). 

So while your baby is soaking up all the new things the world has to offer, they’ll feel fully loved and embraced in comfort while doing it. 

How to Turn Your babybay Bedside Co-Sleeper Into a Portable Bassinet 

The bassinet conversion kit makes it easy to turn your babybay co sleeper into a bedside crib or wooden bassinet with wheels.

All it takes is a few minutes to install the guard rail, and you have a safe way to move your baby’s sleeping space around the house with ease. 

Your baby’s co-sleeper mattress is fully height-adjustable, which makes it easy to line up their sleeping space to the height of your own bed and reach over to care for them during the night without having to leave the comfort of your sheets.

And though our uniquely-designed guard rail is made to keep you comfortable as you care for your baby, that doesn’t mean that it’s not equally comfortable and safe for your little one!

They’ll feel snuggled in a sleeping space made-just-for-them, protected by a guard rail that will keep them safe through all sleeping and waking hours.

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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!). 

Babies spend a lot of time sleeping. And when we say a lot, we mean it. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that newborns get between 14-17 hours of sleep a day. Which is why crib safety standards are such an important thing for parents to understand (and to check off the list when it comes to making sure their baby’s bed is up to 5-star safety snuff!)…

Because your baby spends more time snoozing away in their bedside co-sleeper, baby bassinet, or crib than they spend in any other room — or on any other piece of furniture — in your house.

And though crib safety standards are something that are pretty important when it comes to ensuring your little one’s safety all night long, it can be difficult to understand how crib safety standards should affect your choice of bedside co-sleeper or crib model. Or to cut through all the formal lingo to understand what’s really going on so you can pick a crib that will let you rest easy while knowing your baby is peacefully sleeping away in perfect comfort and security.  

So we’re about to break down the importance of crib safety standards in ways that are a little easier to understand. Stick around to see how to choose a crib or bedside co-sleeper that measures up to full peace of mind for you and your little one. 

First Thing’s First: Who Sets Baby Crib Safety Standards and Guidelines? 

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is the head office tasked with overseeing the safety of cribs. This is the agency of the U.S. government that oversees the safety of consumer products (as their name suggests) and sets general safety standards for how and when products can be used.

There are a few general guidelines that all manufacturers of baby products must follow, as well as a few tests they must pass.

For the most part, these tests address and regulate things like lead content and phthalate content (aka: chemicals that make plastics more durable, but aren’t the healthiest for your little one).

But when it comes to baby cribs, things get a little more complicated. Especially when it comes to the mechanical and construction side of things.

Believe it or not, the Consumer Product Safety Commission didn’t set mandatory crib safety standards for manufacturers until 2011. 

Up until then, there were recommended safety guidelines that baby crib manufacturing companies were asked to follow — but none that were considered set in stone, non-negotiable “must-dos.” 

Though many parents are interested in how to make an old crib safe, the CPSC considers old and vintage cribs (no matter how beautiful or decorative they are!) one of their “Most Wanted” dangerous products.

And for good reason! One slight design flaw — like slats that are set too far apart or a decorative pattern in the wrong place — can easily become unsafe for babies. And any corner posts that aren’t well-constructed can easily catch on a newborn’s clothes and pose a risk. 

This is why when it comes to choosing the best baby co-sleeper, bedside crib, bedside bassinet, or standalone crib for your little one, it’s a good idea to stop looking for how to make an old crib safe and instead seek out a crib or co-sleeper designed with safety as the top priority.

It’s also important to stay away from ones that were produced before those stricter safety standards were introduced in 2011. Because no matter how cute that vintage crib you find at an antique shop might be…there’s no guarantee that it will be safe for your little one to rest in all night long.

Are There Really Best Baby Cribs That Take the Top Spot for Safety? 

Sure, safety standards might now be mandatory (thanks to the Consumer Product Safety Commission!). But that doesn’t mean that all baby crib or baby co-sleeper manufacturers think of safety the same way. 

Many baby product manufacturers still consider safety as a “must do,” rather than a mission. 

At the end of the day, there’s a big difference between checking off all the safety boxes and going above and beyond to give your baby a space to rest their head that is safe, secure, and perfectly built to support them through their many hours of rest! 

One thing that sets different bedside co-sleepers or cribs strongly apart are the materials used in their construction. The tough reality is: it’s still common for cribs and baby co-sleepers to be made with toxic glues, paints, and plastics that can be harmful to your baby’s health. 

Certain paint finishes and glues release gasses that include formaldehyde, benzene, phenol, phthalates (and plenty of other ones that are equally hard to pronounce!) that can cause irritation, cause cancer, or damage the liver, kidney, and central nervous system. 

And though these gasses can be harmful outdoors, they can be even more concentrated and harmful (10x more concentrated, in fact!) when they’re found on products indoors. 

So when seeking out a crib or the best baby co-sleeper crib on the market, it’s not enough to just look for one that has checked off all the mandatory boxes. Look for one that has made smart and safety-centered choices when it comes to everything from engineering to construction. 

How Does the babybay Baby Co-Sleeper Do Safety Differently? 

As a company, babybay believes that your family’s health and safety is what matters most. 

We were proud when we received the gold star for safety from ASTM International, TÜV Rheinland, and Confidence in Textiles (some of the biggest names in safety certification!). But that wasn’t enough for us. 

We wanted to check off all the safety boxes, and then go above and beyond in providing your baby with a made-just-for-them safe sleep space that doesn’t just give them security…but also you peace of mind. 

That’s why we build all of our baby bedside sleepers using sustainably sourced and ethically manufactured 100% beechwood.

And our beechwood isn’t coated with chemicals. We keep it just as nature intended — non-toxic and pure. 

This means you get to enjoy all the many benefits of co sleeping without worrying about whether the materials in your crib are hurting your baby’s health (because we’re always all-natural over here, all the time!). 

So if you’re trying to decide what kind of baby bed is best for your family, understanding crib safety standards is a good place to start. 

But then seek out the cribs and baby sleeper options that are going above and beyond when it comes to safety — and are committed to giving you and your baby better nights of rest. 

Just starting to explore co-sleeping? 

Discover how the babybay has helped thousands of families co sleep safely.

Your co sleeping journey begins way before your baby sleeps on their made-just-for-them baby bedside co sleeper for the first time. 

It starts the moment you look around online for the best baby bedside sleeper on the market (hint: you’ve stumbled upon the right page!), chat with fellow parents about bedside crib and bedside bassinet models they love, and click the “Choose Your Babybay” button so that we can get your brand new co sleeper shipped straight to your door. 

Because when it comes to choosing co sleepers, it’s not just about finding one that will provide you with feelings of ease after your baby arrives. It’s about choosing a bedside co sleeper that is easy to unbox, easy to assemble, and easy to make  a part of your and your baby’s soon-to-be shared bedroom space.

That’s why when we designed babybay, we had ease in mind. And we carry that ease through every step of the assembly process.

Take an inside look at one family’s experience unboxing their brand-new babybay cosleeper: 

Properly assembling your babybay so that your co sleeper attaches to the bed takes just 12 steps, all easily accomplished with tools you already have at home (no trips to the hardware store needed!). 

And though the assembly time might be short and simple, that doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing a single ounce of safety or security. Each babybay co sleeper has been given a gold-star for safety from top safety certification organizations (including ASTM International, TÜV Rheinland, and Confidence in Textiles Oeko-Tex), which means you’ll have confidence that your baby is peacefully sleeping safe and secure while catching Z’s of your own with full peace of mind.

How to Customize Your Baby Co Sleeper For Fullest Comfort 

Your little one is unique, and so is your family. That is why we made it our mission to offer plenty of accessories and customizable color options that will make your bedside co sleeper easily blend into your home (or stand out in your home, if that’s more your style!).

Though all babybay bedside sleepers are made of 100% eco-friendly and fully sustainable beechwood (because we believe that caring for the Earth is just as important as caring for your family), you can easily choose untreated, walnut, white, or gray color options to help you personalize your co sleeper so it feels part of your space. 

(Don’t worry—we never use the harmful glues, chemicals, or paints that you’ll find in most cribs. With us, it’s all-natural, all the time.)

You can even deck your baby co sleeper out with a colorful canopy that creates a pop of cute with stars or polka dots. So that by the time you’re finished putting together your babybay, you feel fully ready to welcome your baby home with a soft space all their own!

Convert to a Crib With a Bedside Bassinet Conversion Kit

Straight out of the box, your baby co sleeper attaches to bed and keeps your baby secure by sitting flush against your own mattress. But for families who want to have options when it comes to converting their bedside crib into a moveable bassinet, the bedside bassinet conversion kit is here to help!

The bedside bassinet conversion kit has a wooden guard rail that can be installed in minutes with wooden locking clips, allowing your baby to sleep soundly—even if your bedside co sleeper isn’t right next to your bed.

This is a perfect choice for families who have nursery space where their baby can nap (because yep–with the bassinet conversion kit and attachable roller casters you can easily roll your new standalone crib to another room), or who want to have options for how they use their bedside sleeper throughout their journey. 

After Unboxing: What to Remember As You Start Co Sleeping 

Your bond with babybay doesn’t end the moment that your bedside co sleeper is unboxed! 

We’re here to support you and be by your (bed)side — see what we did there? — through all stages of your co sleeping journey. 

Which means if the time ever comes when you feel like your babybay needs a little extra accessorizing — like a breathable, moisture-regulating, mattress pad upgrade or all-natural 100% organic cotton sheets — know that we’ll be here to help you out. 

And if a day ever comes when you’ve used your bedside sleeper for so many kiddos that you could use a few replacement parts…well, we’ve got you covered on that front too. 

Which is our way of saying, we’re here to help you for the long haul.

Already ordered your babybay? It’s time to accessorize! 

Just getting started on your babybay journey?

Customize My babybay!

How to start, when to stop co-sleeping: every co-sleeping family will have a slightly different journey. That’s because every family is unique, and so is every family’s needs.

But no matter the ins-and-outs of your family’s uniqueness, most people start here: when your baby first comes home, the ideal place for them to sleep soundly is by your side in a bedside co-sleeper or other safe sleep tool specially designed to keep them safe, secure, and enveloped in a hug of love all through the night. 

(Why is a safe sleep tool like a bedside sleeper preferred? Because too-soft bedding can pose risks when your baby hasn’t quite hit the developmental milestones to easily roll out of it yet.)

But over the next few months, your baby will grow from a newborn into a crawling, playing, keep-you-on-your-toes toddler. And when that time comes, you may begin thinking about the best age to transition from co-sleeping with your family’s own special timeline in mind. 

How Your Co-Sleeping Family’s Journey Will Be Unique

Every baby is unique, and so is every co-sleeping family. That means that every co-sleeping journey will look a little different. 

But no matter your family’s special co-sleeping timeline, it can be helpful to check in at different milestones during your baby’s first few months to stay aware of both baby’s development (as well as your family’s needs).

Checking in during these early months can help you make decisions about the best age to transition from co-sleeping down the road. (Even if that time still feels far, far off for you right now!)

No matter when you decide to stop co-sleeping, the good news is that co-sleeping with your baby during their early life has left them well-prepared to take on sleeping (and the world, while they’re at it!) all on their own. 

Co-sleeping helps your baby develop sensory awareness, meaning that they’ll easily be able to tell the difference between comfort or crisis and rest—or call for your help—accordingly. 

Your baby has also had plenty of time to nurture a deep and meaningful relationship with you, which means they will feel surrounded and supported by your love even if you’re sleeping farther than an arm’s length away. 

This means when the time to transition from co-sleeping comes, you and baby will be more than ready to tackle all the nights of snoozes and sweet dreams ahead. 

When to Stop Co-Sleeping: The 5 Month Milestone 

Baby’s first few months set the stage for a lifetime of healthy growth. 

That’s why co-sleeping during this part of baby’s life is such an important tool in their grow-big-and-strong toolkit. 

By catching their first few months of z’s in a designed-just-for-them bedside co-sleeper that fits flush against your bed (meaning you’re always close by!), baby will benefit from a boosted immune system and better supported emotional and physical development. 

That’s why it’s important to take full advantage of all the co-sleeping benefits your bedside co-sleeper can offer in these early months of baby’s life.

Though Europe tests and endorses bedside co-sleepers through baby’s first year, the United States has yet to expand their testing and endorsement procedures past five months of age. 

However, experts agree that sleeping close to your baby is still best practice through the first year of their life. 

That means around five months might be the right time to start taking stock of how baby has grown and decide whether it might be time to start transitioning your baby into a crib or convert your co-sleeper into a bedside bassinet or whether they’re still comfy-as-can-be where they are.

When to Stop Co-Sleeping: The 9 Month Milestone

When it comes time to fully decide when to stop co-sleeping, developmental stages and family needs are more important indicators than age. 

That’s because all babies are unique, and their growth stages are going to be just as unique as they are. 

Likewise, no two families are the same. What works well for one family might cause nights of restless tossing and turning for another. 

It’s a good idea to check in with your baby at the 9 month milestone to make sure that co-sleeping is still the best sleeping solution for them (and you!). 

If baby has started feeling confident enough in their mobility to move from the safe space of their bedside co-sleeper into the maze of blankets and pillows that you keep on your own bed, it might be time to think about keeping baby more secure with a standalone baby bassinet or crib. 

Those blankets and pillows you love to curl up in and keep close can quickly become a safety hazard to baby. Though baby might be learning to be a confident crawler at this age, they still haven’t quite figured out the art of being an escape artist. 

(Ready to learn more about how to co-sleep safely? We’ve got you covered!)

And when it comes to plush bedding that can easily wrap around them or cover their head, those escape artist skills are much-needed to assure fully safe sleeping throughout the night. 

But remember: at the end of the day, only you know the co-sleeping timeline that works best for your family. 

The Big Takeaway

The day when it’s time to stop co-sleeping with baby will come. 

But when it does, be excited to walk with baby toward their next milestone!

Because baby has been co-sleeping all life long, their body and mind are ready to take full advantage of all the developmental benefits and conquer every new adventure that comes their way during nights ahead.

And just because baby is ready to transition their bedside co sleeper into a bedside bassinet or sleep in a crib all their own doesn’t mean they have to go far. 

If you choose to stop co-sleeping around one of these early milestones, you can still help support baby’s next stage of sleep by positioning their baby bassinet or bedside crib right against your bed, or moving it no more than a step or two away from your own mattress. 

That way, baby will still be able to feel your loving presence offering comfort from close by, even as they adjust to the feeling of sleeping in this new space that is fully their own. 

As baby becomes more comfortable in their bedside bassinet or crib (and as space in your bedroom allows), you can slowly move baby’s sleeping space farther and farther from your own bed. This will help baby gradually develop confidence and awareness that you’re nearby to help, even when you’ve stopped co-sleeping and are farther than an arm’s length or two away. 

And on the day you decide it’s finally time to stop wondering when to stop co-sleeping and start really moving your baby to a crib and room of their own: just know they’ll feel well-prepped for this next important step. 

When was the last time you actually felt rested? 

Can’t remember?

We totally get it. Those late-night feedings are exhausting, especially during the initial weeks after giving birth.

Imagine how rested you’d feel if you didn’t have to get out of bed every 2-3 hours to feed or soothe your newborn.

No more tip-toeing your way back to the crib, praying not to wake your baby. 

No more frustration when, you finally find a comfortable position, only to be woken up moments later. 

…sounds too good to be true, right? Not anymore. 

Parents all over the world have started getting the sleep they desperately need by switching over to babybay’s Baby Bedside Sleeper.

Uniquely engineered to lock into beds of all sizes and heights, this co-sleeper is changing the game. 

Now, you can enjoy all the benefits of co-sleeping, and the closeness of bedsharing, without compromising safety. 

CO-SLEEPING ENCOURAGES DEVELOPMENT

James J. Mckenna, Director emeritus of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, found that,

“Parents serve as a kind of biological “jumper cable,” or outsourced regulator, to a newborn baby when she is completing her gestation outside her mother’s body. When parents and babies sleep together, their heart rates, brain waves, sleep states, oxygen levels, temperature, and breathing influence one another.”

In basic lingo, this means, your baby’s development relies on being close to you. Even outside of the womb, our bodies sync together for prime developmental functioning. The separation that comes from a stand-alone crib can get in the way of this. 

Does this mean you have to stay joined at the hip? No. But, it shows that simply sleeping nearby makes it possible for them to grow big and strong. Amazing, right? 

THE CLOSER YOU ARE THE LESS ANXIETY FOR EVERYONE

Hearing the beating of your heart and the in and out of your breath can be incredibly soothing to your baby. Depriving them of this for 6-8 hours at night means babies cry more often, needing your closeness to soothe their anxiety. 

Babies who co-sleep generally cry less, wake less often, and allow you to sleep for longer periods of time.

Added Bonus: You get to wake up next to a smiley baby!

YOU CAN BETTER RESPOND TO A CRISIS WHILE CO-SLEEPING

Parenting guru Dr. Sears  found during his studies that:

“Babies who sleep close to their mothers enjoy ‘protective arousal,’ a state of sleep that enables them to more easily awaken if their health is in danger, such as breathing difficulties…Infants who sleep near their parents have more stable temperatures, regular heart rhythms, and fewer long pauses in breathing compared to babies who sleep alone. This means the baby sleeps physiologically safer.”

When it comes to defending against dangers to your baby, there is no substitute for your care. Co-sleeping makes it possible to familiarize with all the sounds your baby makes.

As part of your natural-momma-bear instinct, (part of the physiological syncing mentioned above,) your body stays alert even while sleeping. If something is off, you can count on your body to sense it — and, in the event of an emergency, this can make all the difference for the safety of your baby.   

The babybay Baby Bedside Sleeper is a leader in safety for co-sleeping with newborns. All of our sleepers undergo rigorous safety inspections, and must receive domestic and international safety certifications before ever going out to you.  

If you’re ready to start getting a better night’s sleep, with less stress, and more opportunity to connect with your baby then, it’s time you meet our bedside cribs. 90% of the world’s families are already co-sleeping their way to better nights. Isn’t it time you expected more for your family?

Meet the babybay co sleeper cribs