Co-Sleeping & Bed-Sharing Safety (Red Nose Australia) | Parenting Hub
Red Nose Australia's evidence-based guidance on co-sleeping — when it's higher risk, and how to make bed-sharing safer if you choose to.
Many families bed-share at some point. Red Nose recommends room-sharing (separate sleep surface) for the first 6–12 months. If you do bed-share, there's a safer way and a higher-risk way.
What Red Nose recommends
Sleep your baby in a safe cot or bassinet, on their own sleep surface, in the parents' room for the first 6 to 12 months. This is the safest sleep arrangement.
Bed-sharing is HIGHER RISK if
These factors significantly increase the risk of sudden unexpected death:
- Baby under 4 months old
- Baby was premature or low birth weight
- Either parent smoked during pregnancy or now
- Either parent has had alcohol, sedating medication or recreational drugs
- Parent is unusually tired or unwell
- Sleeping on a couch, sofa, beanbag, recliner or waterbed — DO NOT do this, ever
If you choose to bed-share — make it safer
- Firm, flat mattress on the floor or away from walls/headboards
- Baby on their back, away from pillows and adult bedding
- No other children, pets or extra adults in the bed
- Baby in own light layers — not under the doona
- Long hair tied back; no jewellery or loose clothing
Safer alternatives
A bedside bassinet (3-sided) that attaches to your bed lets you reach baby easily for night feeds while keeping them on a separate, firm sleep surface.
When to seek help
- Falling asleep with baby on a couch — wake and move both to a safer place
- Baby's face covered by bedding — clear immediately
- Smoking, alcohol or drugs + bed-sharing — do not bed-share
Common questions
Is bed-sharing wrong?
Red Nose is clear that own-surface sleep is safest, but recognises many families bed-share. The most dangerous mistake is bed-sharing without knowing the risk factors — especially couch sleeping.