As a young mother, she felt guilty and confused about letting her children cry themselves to sleep. In many cultures, the family bed is and always has been a way of life. Babies are swaddled to their mothers from birth and sleep with or in close proximity to their parents for years. But in the United States, most children have separate bedrooms starting in infancy. Bedsharing not for everyone Noted physician and author Dr. Benjamin Spock, who wrote books that helped generations of families raise their children, years ago popularized the notion that stern bedtime routines are essential in raising children to be independent and well-behaved.
Many pediatricians still urge parents to follow that advice.
Many parents insist on their own space and privacy. And there's a strong case to be made that both children and parents sleep better when the kids have their own beds. Some parents have an open-door policy, where children are allowed into the parents' bed if they ask. But a growing number of parents feel strongly that the best way to nurture children is a return to old-fashioned bed sharing. It's a relief to be able to go to bed.