All new parents seek the best way to get their baby to sleep at night. There is no one "best" way to get babies to sleep soundly, but there are "right" ways to help them sleep safely. One important safe sleep tactic is sharing a room with your newborn.

But how long should a baby sleep in your room? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies should share a room until they're at least 6 months old. However, your little roommate must sleep in a crib or bassinet—not your bed.

Learn more about why you should share a room with your baby and how and when to transition them to their own spaces.

Why Young Babies Should Sleep in Your Room

The AAP recommended that infants share a room, but not your bed, for at least their first 6 months. Research shows this practice can cut babies' risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) by half when compared with other sleeping arrangements.

Experts cite several reasons why having your baby sleep in your room may protect them from SIDS:

1. You're more likely to notice if they're in distress: You can more easily see if they've rolled onto their belly—a SIDS-related suffocation risk if they are not yet 1 year old or have not mastered rolling from their tummy to their back.
2. You can breastfeed them more easily: There's less distance to cover to reach your baby to breastfeed, which makes breastfeeding easier. Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce SIDS risk.
3. Background noise can be helpful: SIDS is thought to stem from a baby's inability to be easily aroused from sleep when they're in distress. The sound of other people's periodic movements may help babies from falling into too deep a sleep.

The Dangers of Bed Sharing

The AAP warns that having your baby sleep in your room turns from a safety measure to a health hazard when parents and caregivers bring their babies into their beds rather than keep them in a separate crib or bassinet.

Co-sleeping with a baby in your bed can be very dangerous. Hazards of bed-sharing include:

• Suffocation: Beds tend to feature soft mattresses and loose bedding, which may trap baby's airways and impair their breathing.
• Entrapment: Infants can become trapped or wedged between a mattress and headboard, wall, or even another body.
• Strangulation: Bed frames, tangled sheets, and loose cords around the bed can all pose a strangulation risk for a young baby.

When to Move Your Baby out of Your Room

Once they're 6 months old or older, your baby can safely "move out" into their own room. Being in their own rooms may help older babies sleep more soundly. One study showed that 9-month-olds sleeping in their parents' rooms get 40 minutes less shut-eye overnight than same-aged babies sleeping in separate rooms.

How to Transition Your Baby to Their Own Room

Babies between 6 months and 1 year should still sleep in a crib with a firm mattress and no soft bedding. To protect against SIDS further, follow these safe sleep tips:

• Put them to sleep on their backs.
• Do tummy time daily to strengthen their neck and back muscles so they can roll over safely.
• Keep soft objects and loose bedding out of their crib.
• Don't let them get overheated—an ideal room temperature is between 68 and 72 F.
• Give a pacifier at naptime and bedtime.

Do you feel the need to monitor your baby? Although a baby monitor has not been shown to keep babies safer, feel free to use one if it helps your peace of mind.

If your baby resists moving to their own room, you may find that taking baby steps helps. Some people find that incrementally moving their crib closer to the door of their room until their baby is eventually in their own room can help make the transition feel less abrupt and scary.