Many mums prefer their babies to sleep in the parents’ bedroom and are reluctant to begin putting them down to sleep in their own rooms for safety reasons.
Others just find it is practical to be close by to their baby for nightly feeds and changes.
However, new research suggests it could actually be beneficial for both parents and babies if they sleep in their own room.
A study by the American Academy of Paediatrics found that babies slept for longer stretches if they slept in their own rooms rather than in their parents’ room.
Dr Ian Paul analysed the results of surveys given to 230 first-time mothers and found several interesting results.
Four-month-old babies who slept in their own rooms had the longest periods of uninterrupted sleep, although they spent approximately the same total amount of time asleep as babies of the same age in their parents’ rooms.
Four-month-olds sleeping by themselves could sleep for about 45 minutes uninterrupted on average.
At nine months old, babies sleeping by themselves slept 40 minutes longer at night and 20 minutes longer overall compared to those who slept in their parents’ rooms.
At one year old, the gap appeared to disappear, however, a follow-up study found it reappeared when the babies became toddlers.
At age two-and-a-half, researchers found that toddlers who had slept by themselves since the age of nine months, on average slept for 45 minutes longer at night. However, total sleep time, including daytime naps was roughly the same.
Room-sharing has been recommended by the American Academy of Paediatrics up to the age of one-year-old due to the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) which can occur while a baby is asleep.
However, Dr Paul says he is “baffled” by the recommendations, adding that "Most parents don't want their baby sleeping in their room until one year. I’ve got three of them myself."
He says research does not support room sharing beyond the age of six months as most SIDS deaths occur at one to four months old.
It’s believed separation anxiety may also play a role as some experts think babies who sleep in their own rooms earlier will not develop the same level of separation anxiety.
There are benefits for parents also, as parents of babies who don’t sleep well can suffer from stress and mental health problems.
What do you think mums? Let us know your thoughts on the subject.
