Infant Arousals During Mother-Infant Bed Sharing: Implications for Infant Sleep and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Research

Abstract

Routinely bed sharing infants also exhibited more frequent TAs in stage 3-4 than the routine solitary sleepers in both conditions. In both groups, the number of infant arousals (EWs ؉ TAs) that overlapped the mother's was doubled during bed sharing, with infant arousals leading most often.Conclusions. Mother-infant bed sharing promotes infant arousals. Together with a previous report that bed sharing reduces stage 3-4 sleep, this suggests that normative values for infant sleep must be interpreted within the context of the sleeping environment in which they were established. Given that arousability is diminished in stage 3-4, we speculate that, under otherwise safe conditions, the observed changes in stage 3-4 sleep and arousals associated with bed sharing might be protective to infants at risk for SIDS because of a hypothesized arousal deficit. The responsivity of the mother to infant arousals during bed sharing might also be protective. Pediatrics 1997;100:841-849; bed sharing, cosleeping, solitary sleeping, infant arousals, SIDS, infant sleep.

Why babies should never sleep alone: A review of the co-sleeping controversy in relation to SIDS, bedsharing and breast feeding

“…This heightened sensitivity might increase the chances that mothers could more quickly detect and intervene against a life threatening event that night-time separation from the baby precludes. 19,20 Three major epidemiological studies have shown that when a committed caregiver, usually the mother, sleeps in the same room but not in the same bed with their infant the chance of the infant dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is reduced by 50%. [21][22][23] This protective factor does not generalise to co-sleeping in proximity to siblings.…”

Infant Sleep Location: Associated Maternal and Infant Characteristics with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Prevention Recommendations

“…(4,5) As the rate of prone positioning has declined, other previously unrecognized risk factors for sudden unexplained infant death have emerged in recent epidemiologic studies. Despite the fact that bedsharing between an infant and adult facilitates breastfeeding and enhances parent-infant interactions, (6,7) this sleeping arrangement has been identified in epidemiologic studies as being hazardous in certain situations, particularly when one or both parents are smokers, (8)(9)(10)(11)(12) on excessively soft surfaces, such as waterbeds, sofas, and armchairs, (9,10,(13)(14)(15) or when the infant is less than 2-3 months of age. (9,12,(14)(15)(16)(17) In addition, there is an increased risk for sudden unexpected infant death when there are multiple bedsharers (13) and when bedsharing occurs for the entire night.…”

Practices, advice and support regarding prolonged breastfeeding: a descriptive study from Sri Lanka

“…Co-sleeping mothers and infants have demonstrated synchrony in their sleep patterns, facilitating simultaneous arousals and frequent bouts of breastfeeding Mosko et al, 1997;Ball & Ward Platt, 2007). By sharing sleep, the infant"s basic need for physical closeness and frequent, short feeding episodes is optimally met while the mother gets more rest.…”