Refers to a diverse, generic class of human-wide sleeping arrangements (mother-infant, husband-wife-children, brother-sister, etc.) wherein at least two or more persons sleep within proximity or close enough to permit each (or all) to detect, monitor and exchange sensory stimuli (e.g., doors, sound, movement, touch, gaze etc.). Considered by some to be a protective factor against sudden infant death, it is opposed by others who regard it as unnecessary risk for crib death, a controversy that is becoming increasingly vitriolic in tone.
See Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, cot or crib death), Protective factor, Risk factors