Bedside Cosleeper
A bedside cosleeper is a bassinet which connects to the side of your adult bed. It's safe, so long as you adhere to the CSPC safety guidelines for infant sleeping spaces.
These guidelines are similar to crib bedding standards. Read more about the guidelines here. The most important factors to consider when selecting the best bedside sleeper are Safety, Comfort, and Convenience.
Safety
Many new parents and expecting mothers have chosen to cosleep, also known as bed-sharing, in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that infants sleep in the same bedroom as their parents. The Academy says that sharing rooms is safer than sleeping with a baby in the same bed as it decreases the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infants, or SIDS. The AAP does not recommend bed-sharing but it does suggest that sleeping on a separate sleeping surface is a good option to reduce the risk of SIDS. This is why the development of the bedside cosleeper was important to many families.
A bedside cosleeper is attached to a bed frame that is suitable for adults. It is similar to a crib sleeper. The bedside cosleeper helps parents monitor the baby, and also gives the baby the ability to sleep in their own bed. The best cosleepers have strict safety standards and are built using durable, high-quality materials. To ensure your child's safety ensure that you look for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association stamp of approval. This is a sign of rigorous testing and quality control.
The safety of a crib is dependent on several factors. It is dependent on how it's set up and secured to the parent's mattress. If bedside crib travel cot is not connected to the parent's bed in a way that prevents the gaps and spaces where the infant can get trapped, it could be the risk of suffocation. It is essential that the attachment system of a bedside sleeper be examined to determine if it is able to withstand the forces that could be imposed during use, such as the parent rolling on and off the sleeper, or 25-pound. The attachment system or corners of the bedside sleeper should be subjected to an upward force.
The voluntary standard for bedside cribs incorporates, as a reference to the federal consumer product safety standards for bassinets (16 CFR part 1218), including specifications for the performance of closed openings. The standard's requirements for mandatory compliance tackle the issue of neck and head imprisonment by requiring that after application, and release the 50-lb. horizontal force in the vicinity of the attachment systems and corners of the bedside sleeping device, gaps that is greater than 1.0 in. must not be created. ASTM's electronic Reading Room offers read-only versions of the standard.
Convenience
While many parents have avoided cosleeping due to fear of suffocation, SIDS or the "Ferberization" process that requires children to sleep on their own Anthropologists have long observed that the majority of mammals and primates and people in non-Western societies, regularly cosleep. This is because babies are soothed when they hear their mother's voice. They they also learn to self-soothe.
The best bedside sleepers feature clever designs that are attached on the side of any mattress and pivots so that you can easily access it to change diapers or feeds in the middle of the night. Look for a model with adjustable feet, which retract to accommodate different mattress sizes. It should also come with ample storage space for all of your baby's essentials.
Select a bedside sleeper that can fit in with the standard crib bedding so that it can be used safely as your child grows. You might also look into an adjustable model that can transform into a play area or deeper bassinet to last for years of use, and folds easily to travel.
Portability
A bedside cosleeper that has wheels or a light base is much easier to move than one with a heavy wooden frame or base. The babybay Bedside sleeper, HALO BassiNest Essentia and Snoo Smart Sleeper all have amazing portability features. The adjustable feet retract to accommodate platform beds and the legs fold inward for maximum closeness to the mattress; and sides made of 100% mesh to let airflow without fabric covering baby's nose or mouth.
The Arm's Reach ClearVue is a top option. It adjusts in 1" increments and can be used as a bassinet or a portable bed. It also swivels, allowing easy access to your baby so that you can soothe, nurse or check on her during the night.