Will Snoring Disturb My Baby’s Sleep?

We have a baby arriving soon and we’re planning to at least co-sleep in the same room. I read James McKenna’s book on safe infant sleep and it says that one benefit of co-sleeping is that the baby feels calm when hearing the breathing of their parents and that they are extremely sensitive to the chest movement and sounds of breathing companions. My husband has sleep apnea and does not breathe regularly. Will that have an influence on the baby, i.e. should we consider that he and the baby sleep in separate rooms from each other?
–To be mum pondering the best sleep set-up

Sleep is one of the hardest things in early parenting. If I can give you one general piece of advice here it is to be prepared to be a little flexible to the needs of your family, overall.

Co-sleeping can work well for many families. If you end up deciding to sleep with the baby in your bed, you want to be thoughtful to do it as safely as possible (more on that in this article). Sleeping with your baby in your room but not in your bed is the AAP recommendation, although I will say many people find it a challenge to do.

We do not have direct data on the question you’re asking here – in large part because these arguments about benefits are not generally well supported or something we can explore in large datasets.

Having said that, there are a couple of considerations. First: if your spouse has sleep apnea and is generally a complicated sleeper, that is likely to increase the risks of co-sleeping in the same bed. Having your child in the same room but not in the same bed wouldn’t have these considerations, although if your husband snores loudly and wakes up the baby you may have to adjust. If you do end up in a true co-sleeping arrangement, it may make sense to consider having your partner sleep elsewhere for safety, at least for a few months.

A second consideration is your relationship with your partner. This is also important. Whatever choice you make here it should prioritize the baby, but also broader family relationships. If you and your partner like to sleep in the same bed, that should be part of the calculation.