Do your kids sleep in?
It’s a good idea to have your child sleep separately. But for the many moms who’d rather keep their baby close till they are a little older here are some safety tips:
- Sleep on a firm mattress, never on a waterbed, or an egg-crate type or feather mattress – these may suffocate a child.
- To prevent falls off the bed, put mattress on the floor or use guardrails on your bed with mesh sides, and stuff tightly rolled-up towels between the mattress and the rails to eliminate crevices.
- Don’t put a baby next to a “deep sleeper”, a parent who drinks alcohol before sleeping or takes medication that can induce deep sleep – he or she may roll over and smother the child.
- If you’re trying to get him to sleep separately, do so in small steps. First have a bed of his own next to yours; after a few days, push the bed to the wal; then to another room… but make sure he can join you in the night if he wakes up scared. And leave the light on it it comforts him.