Co-sleeping or bed sharing is a practice in which babies and young children sleep close to one or both parents, as opposed to in a separate room. Co-sleeping individuals sleep in sensory proximity to one another, where the individual senses the presence of others.[1] This sensory proximity can either be triggered by touch, smell, taste, or noise. Therefore, the individuals can be a few centimeters away or on the other side of the room and still have an effect on the other.[1] It is standard practice in many parts of the world, and is practiced by a significant minority in countries where cribs are also used.
Bed-sharing, a practice in which babies and young children sleep in the same bed with one or both parents, is a subset of co-sleeping. Co-bedding refers to infants (typically twins or higher-order multiples) sharing the same bed.[2]
Whether cosleeping or using another sleep surface, it is considered important for the baby to be in the same room as an adult, committed caregiver for all sleeps — day and night — in early life. This is known to reduce the risk of SIDS by 50 per cent. Some organisations such as Red Nose Australia recommend this for the first 12 months of life and others such as the NHS recommend it for the first 6 months.