Sleep: 11 decisions to make together
Where baby sleeps, how safe sleep works, and whether and how to sleep-train.
1. Safe-sleep basics
The baseline rules for putting a baby to sleep: on their back, on a firm flat surface, with nothing else in the sleep space.
1 options · Well established · Around the birth
2. Room-sharing duration
How long your baby sleeps in the same room as you (in a separate bed) before moving to their own room.
4 options · Experts disagree · During pregnancy
3. Bed-sharing
Bed-sharing means your baby sleeps in the same bed as an adult.
4 options · Experts disagree · During pregnancy
4. Bassinet or crib
What your baby sleeps in at first: a bedside bassinet, a crib from day one, or a portable play yard.
3 options · Your call · During pregnancy
5. Swaddling
Whether to wrap your baby snugly in a blanket for sleep, and when to stop, which is usually when they begin to roll.
3 options · Well established · Around the birth
6. Schedules or baby-led routines
Whether you follow the baby's cues for feeding and sleep, build a flexible routine, or set a firm schedule.
4 options · Evidence leans one way · 0–6 months
7. Sleep training
Whether and how to teach your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep on their own.
6 options · Your call · 0–6 months
8. Monitors
Whether you use a baby monitor and what kind: none, audio, video, or a wearable device that tracks vital signs.
4 options · Well established · During pregnancy
9. Where children sleep after infancy
Where your child sleeps once they are past infancy: their own room, a room shared with a sibling, or your bed, and whether they may come into yours at night.
4 options · Your call · Toddler
10. Bedtime structure
How firm bedtime is: a fixed early time and routine, a flexible window, or letting the child decide when they are tired.
3 options · Well established · Toddler
11. Melatonin and sleep aids
Melatonin is a hormone the body makes to signal bedtime; it is also sold as a supplement.
3 options · Evidence leans one way · School age