Night Feeds and Co-Sleeping: How Breastfeeding and Bedsharing Work Together

The Biological Partnership of Breastfeeding and Bedsharing

For the vast majority of human history, mothers and infants slept together and breastfed throughout the night. This was not a parenting choice — it was simply how our species survived. Dr. James McKenna, the world's leading researcher on mother-infant co-sleeping, has spent over four decades documenting what he calls "breastsleeping" — the integrated biological system in which breastfeeding and bedsharing function as a single, mutually reinforcing behavior.

As McKenna writes in *Safe Infant Sleep*: "Breastfeeding and bedsharing are so physiologically and behaviorally intertwined that they should not be considered as separate entities."

How Night Feeds Change When You Bedshare

Research from the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame has shown that breastfeeding mothers who bedshare nurse their babies nearly three times more frequently during the night compared to mothers whose babies sleep in a separate room. Crucially, these additional feeds do not result in less sleep for the mother — in fact, the opposite is often true.

Key findings from sleep laboratory studies:

The Side-Lying Position: Nature's Design

The side-lying breastfeeding position is the foundation of safe breastsleeping. When a breastfeeding mother lies on her side to nurse, she naturally assumes what researchers call the "C-curl" or "cuddle curl" position:

1. Her lower arm extends above the baby's head, preventing the baby from moving upward toward pillows

2. Her knees draw up below the baby's feet, preventing the baby from sliding down the bed

3. Her body creates a protective enclosure around the baby, shielding them from other bed occupants, blankets, and pillows

4. She faces the baby at breast level, maintaining awareness of the baby's position and breathing throughout the night

Prof. Helen Ball's infrared video studies at Durham University have documented this position occurring instinctively in breastfeeding mothers, even during sleep. Non-breastfeeding mothers do not consistently adopt this protective posture, which is one reason the safety research distinguishes between breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding bedsharing.

What the Research Says About Safety

The safety of bedsharing cannot be discussed without distinguishing between hazardous and non-hazardous bedsharing environments. The landmark Blair et al. (2014) study, published in *PLOS ONE*, found that when known risk factors were removed (smoking, alcohol, drugs, sofa-sleeping, extreme fatigue, premature birth), the risk of SIDS in a bedsharing environment was not statistically significant.

Dr. McKenna emphasizes that the question is not simply "is bedsharing safe?" but rather "under what conditions is bedsharing safe?" When the Safe Sleep Seven criteria are met — a non-smoking, sober, breastfeeding mother on a firm, flat surface with no hazardous bedding — the risk profile approaches that of crib sleeping.

Practical Tips for Night Nursing While Bedsharing

Setting up your sleep space:

During the night:

When Bedsharing May Not Be Right for Night Feeds

Not every family or every night is suitable for bedsharing. The following situations call for alternative arrangements (such as a bedside crib or room-sharing with a separate surface):

The Bigger Picture: Why Night Feeds Matter

Nighttime breastfeeding is not just about nutrition. Research shows that breastmilk produced at night contains higher concentrations of melatonin, tryptophan, and sleep-promoting nucleotides that help regulate the baby's developing circadian rhythm. By nursing at night, you are literally helping your baby learn to sleep.

As Dr. McKenna puts it: "The mother's body is the baby's habitat." Nighttime nursing within a safe bedsharing environment is the biological norm for our species — and when practiced safely, it supports better sleep, stronger breastfeeding relationships, and healthier infant development.

---

*This article references the published research of Dr. James McKenna (University of Notre Dame) and Prof. Helen Ball (Durham University). These researchers are independent professionals and their inclusion represents our editorial summary of their published work.*