Multiples Should Twins Sleep Together at Home? Deciding Whether or Not to Co-bed Your Twins By Cheryl Bird, RN, BSN Updated on October 31, 2020 Medically reviewed by Vanessa Nzeh, MD Print elkor / Getty Images If you’ve had twins or multiples, you may wonder if it’s safe to let them sleep together at home. Maybe your twins sleep better when they’re lying next to each other, or you remember from their NICU days that there are specific benefits to co-bedding multiples. Although there may be benefits to letting twins sleep together, it’s best to follow safe sleep practices. Risks and Benefits of Twins Sleeping Together Studies show several possible benefits of letting twins sleep together in the NICU. Multiples who are co-bedded seem to sleep better, gain weight better, have fewer episodes of apnea and bradycardia, and (as long as they’re about the same size), keep each other warm. No studies have looked at co-bedding twins at home, but it's likely that these benefits continue after hospital discharge. The American Academy of Pediatrics policy on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) recommends that babies sleep in a baby bed in their parents’ bedroom. The policy says that it is unsafe for babies to sleep in bed with a parent, but doesn’t address the risk of SIDS when infants sleep with a twin or other siblings. Other studies show that the risk of SIDS may be higher when babies sleep with other children, but no study has been done to show whether it is safe to let twins sleep together. Many twins and multiples are born premature, and the risk of SIDS is higher for premature babies than for infants born at full term. Also, when twins sleep together, they often turn to face each other. The side-sleeping position is no longer recommended for babies. Twins who sleep facing each other may also get less oxygen because they re-breathe each others’ exhaled air. The Bottom Line on Cobedding Twins Although there may be benefits to letting twins sleep together in the NICU, you probably shouldn’t continue the practice at home. If you choose to let your twins sleep together, then make sure to reduce the risk of SIDS in other ways: put your babies on their backs to sleep, put them to bed with a pacifier, and keep them in a crib in your bedroom that’s free from toys and plush blankets. 3 Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Hayward KM, Johnston CC, Campbell-Yeo ML, et al. Effect of cobedding twins on coregulation, infant state, and twin safety. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2015;44(2):193-202. doi:10.1111/1552-6909.12557 American Academy of Pediatrics. SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2016 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-2938 Damato EG, Brubaker JA, Burant C. Sleeping Arrangements in Families with Twins. Newborn Infant Nurs Rev. 2012;12(3):171-178. doi:10.1053/j.nainr.2012.06.001 By Cheryl Bird, RN, BSN Cheryl Bird, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse in a tertiary level neonatal intensive care unit at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit