Co-sleeping on sofa bed

[BastetBaby]

Is it safe to co-sleep with baby on sofa bed?

We're staying with family and sofa bed is what we have. We have a travel cot but baby is refusing to sleep in it.

The sofa bed is obviously in bed mode, and it's very similar to a normal bed. It doesn't have gaps or cushions or anything.

No. Sofa beds usually aren't as firm as an actual mattress, more chance of baby rolling into the middle

With a baby under 6 months it isn’t safe.

Cosleeping is not safe.

NHS advice: "It's always safer to let your baby sleep in their own cot or Moses basket in the same room as you."

Why take the risk at home, on a sofa bed or anywhere?

Needs to be a firm sleep surface for co-sleeping and sofabeds are usually very soft!

Could you and baby lie together on.m something like a yoga mat (e.g.) on the floor?

Because many babies don't sleep if they're put alone in a cot, unfortunately. If co-sleeping is the only way that mum can get any sleep herself, there are safe ways to do it.

Co sleeping is fine in a bed. NHS support it now

It is a very firm sofabed. Firmer than our actual bed at home. It's this one: www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/friheten-3-seat-sofa-bed-faringe-light-grey-20551227/

I had to let her sleep there for a bit. It was the only way to get a bit of sleep. She's been ill recently so I've been averaging three hours sleep for the past week or so.

I'm just holding her in my arms now.

No, they don't. I quoted current advice from an NHS website:

www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/baby/baby-basics/newborn-and-baby-sleeping-advice-for-parents/safe-sleep-advice-for-babies/

The only thing that has changed is that they acknowledge it takes place, so they advise on how to do it more safely - if you have no other option.

OP didn't have to as there was an alternative.

www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-67916722

I'd say no. My experience of sofa beds is that the mattress is not firm enough and two adults tend to roll together into the middle where it sags. This would be very dangerous for a baby.
Can you put the sofa bed mattress onto the floor and cosleep on it there? It would be much firmer on the floor.

I've co slept my babies. And it's good that NHS are supporting it.

You're lucky they didn't come to harm. NHS not supporting it. Just accepting the reality that it happens.

Yes they are. And they were perfectly safe

I cosleep every night with my dc but I agree with pp that a sofa bed is too saggy. I'd put the mattress on the floor.

In my family though, someone with a real bed would offer to swap.

Sure whatever.

Just pop mattress on the floor and it's no different than any other bed.

The research suggests that co-sleeping is safe as long as certain hazards are removed (i.e. no drinking alcohol, no smoking, you breastfeed, firm mattress, no pillows or covers, back to sleep, over six months old).
See: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/co-sleeping/

https://llli.org/breastfeeding-info/sleep-bedshare/

A cot is still safest, but that doesn't imply a bed with a parent that's followed the above guidelines is unsafe. A lots of the studies on sids and co-sleeping that correlate the two are cases where the guidelines were not followed: usually an adult smoking or drinking.

I just wanted to say this in case there are mums reading and freaking out because they co-sleep.

Co-sleeping is safer than holding your baby all night because they won't sleep in their cot then falling asleep due to exhaustion and smothering them. The risks of co-sleeping do need to be balanced against the risks caused by sleep deprivation.

I appreciate your concern for my little one though!

I also appreciate everyone's advice about my sofabed situation. I agree with you all that it's not very safe. I will try try try my hardest to get my daughter to sleep in her cot tonight.

(Also, added context: she's 11 months. We didn't co-sleep until she was 6 months and her sleep absolutely went to pot.)

My family would do that too. But I'm with my partner's family and I'm too shy to ask someone to swap!

@BastetBaby - I've seen your update that your Baby is 11 months. At this age and given the model of sofabed, I'd say it's fine (assuming they don't have any development delay / are not ill etc). A healthy almost one year old would be safe cosleeping on that set up.

Depends on the sofa bed. Use common sense.

For our sofabed the answer is yes. It costed is more than our bed.