Breastfeeding and co-sleeping

Many parents want their baby close at night. Being nearby makes feeding and settling easier and can help everyone get more rest.

There are several ways you can keep your baby close when you sleep. Some families choose room sharing, where baby sleeps in their own cot or bassinet in the same room as the parents. Others share a sleep surface with their baby, often bringing baby into bed for some or all of the night. This is commonly called co-sleeping or bed sharing and means sleeping on the same surface as your baby.

Co-sleeping is more common than many people realise. Australian research shows that around 75% of babies spend some time co-sleeping in their first 3 to 6 months.^1,2 Some mums plan to co-sleep, while others find that their baby ends up in bed with them during the night, especially when breastfeeding or settling a wakeful baby.

Babies need to be fed during the night, and many new mums fall asleep while feeding their baby. Having your baby close can help minimise disruption to sleep for both of you.^3,4 Breastfeeding and co-sleeping often go hand in hand. Feeding at night is easier when your baby is next to you and many mums find their breastfeeding journey continues for longer when they co-sleep.^5,6

You might hear mixed messages about the safety of co-sleeping. This can feel confusing, particularly if having your baby close at night feels natural or is already part of your breastfeeding routine. These comments are often linked to concerns about sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUDI).

Research has shown that both breastfeeding itself, and the way breastfeeding mums tend to sleep, are linked with lower risk when babies and mothers co-sleep.

Why breastfeeding is linked with lower risk

Breastfeeding itself has a protective effect against sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUDI). There are several theories as to why breastfeeding helps protect babies from SUDI:

• Breastfed babies wake more easily than formula-fed babies at 2 to 3 months of age, which is within the 2 to 4-month peak age when SUDI occurs.⁷ Yes, waking at night can be exhausting but it’s also a factor in helping to protect against SUDI.
• Breastfeeding provides important immune factors like antibodies and white blood cells, which may help protect babies.⁸
• Fewer infections: Some babies who die suddenly and unexpectedly have had a minor infection in the days before, but it wasn’t considered enough to cause death on its own. Breastfed babies tend to have fewer infections than formula-fed babies.⁸

How breastfeeding mums tend to sleep protectively

Research shows that breastfeeding mums who co-sleep often sleep in ways that naturally keep their baby close and help create a safer sleep space.

• Breastfeeding mums often form a protective ‘C’ shape around their baby. Babies are usually at breast level with an arm between the baby's head and the pillow. Mums also tend to bend their legs, creating a protected space around the baby. This positioning makes it very difficult for someone else to roll towards the baby without first making contact with the mum’s legs.⁹
• Breastfeeding mums who co-sleep tend to be highly responsive to their baby’s needs.¹⁰
• Mums and babies who co-sleep often wake more during the night. This lighter sleep may be protective, as mums check on and breastfeed their babies more frequently than when room-sharing.^4,11

This doesn’t mean co-sleeping is risk free or that it’s right for every family. But it does help explain why breastfeeding and co-sleeping are often talked about together. It also explains why safety advice focuses on reducing specific risks, rather than telling mums not to sleep with their baby at all.

Many breastfeeding mums bring their baby into bed at night. Some do this by choice. Others fall asleep while feeding. Because this is so common, it’s important to know how to make co-sleeping as safe as possible, and what is not recommended.

You may not plan to co sleep. But night feeds can be long, especially in the early months, and it’s very common to fall asleep while breastfeeding.

If there’s a chance you might fall asleep while feeding, it’s safer to plan for this. Feeding your baby on a bed that’s been set up with co-sleeping safety in mind is safer than feeding on a sofa or armchair.

Planning ahead doesn’t mean you have to co-sleep. It simply means reducing risk if it happens.

If you’re breastfeeding and co sleep with your baby, there are some simple things you can check and do to make it safe. These tips focus on keeping your baby’s airway clear and reducing known risks when sharing a sleep surface.

Create a safe sleep space that keeps your baby’s airway clear

Your baby needs clear space around their face so they can breathe easily during sleep.

• Place your baby on their back.
• Position your baby at breast level, rather than near pillows. Keep pillows away from baby’s sleep space.
• Use a firm, flat mattress. Very soft mattresses or bed toppers can affect breathing if baby turns their face into the surface.
• Make sure your bedding and sheets can’t cover your baby’s face. Keep any other soft objects away from baby’s head.
• Use a safe sleeping bag with no hood and baby’s arms out. Don’t wrap or swaddle your baby. They need their arms free to help them move.
• Don’t let your baby get too hot.
• Don’t sleep baby between two adults.
• Tie up long hair and remove all jewellery including teething necklaces.
• Make sure your baby can’t fall off the bed. Avoid gaps where your baby could become trapped.

Think about who is sharing the sleep surface

• Babies should share a sleep surface only with a parent or caregiver, not siblings or pets.
• Place your baby to the side of one parent and not between people.
• It’s important that anyone sharing the sleep surface can wake and respond quickly to the baby.

Co-sleeping is not safe in some situations. In these cases, it’s safer for your baby to sleep on their own firm sleep surface, such as a cot or bassinet.

Co-sleeping is not recommended if:

• you or anyone sharing the sleep surface smokes, even if you don’t smoke in bed
• you’ve had alcohol or taken drugs that affect your ability to respond to your baby
• you’re extremely exhausted and may not be able to quickly respond.
• your baby was born early, has a low birth weight, or is unwell
• you’re sleeping on a sofa, armchair, waterbed, or another soft or uneven surface
• your baby is left alone on a bed, even for a short time.

There’s no single ‘right’ way for babies to sleep. Families make different choices, and those choices can change over time.

Breastfeeding, closeness and sleep are closely connected. For many mums, having their baby nearby at night supports breastfeeding and helps them get more rest. 

Whatever sleep arrangement you use, having clear, evidence based information can help you make informed choices that suit you and your baby.

If you’d like to talk through your situation, an ABA breastfeeding counsellor can help you explore options that feel right for you.

• Red Nose: Safer co-sleeping guide
• Bedsharing and Breastfeeding: Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocol #6, Revision 2019
• Physiological infant care – Managing nighttime breastfeeding in young infants: Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocol #37

Books and websites

• Australian Breastfeeding Association (2017). Breastfeeding a practical guide Chapter 9 Asleep and awake (free for Virtual Village members)
• Ball, H. (2019). How Babies Sleep: A Factful Guide to the First 365 Days and Nights. Pinter & Martin.
• Durham Infancy and Sleep Centre – Helen Ball
• Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory – James McKenna 

© Australian Breastfeeding Association February 2026