Co-Sleeping: The Benefits And Drawbacks Of A Family Bed.
By: Navjot S
Tags: Parenting Tips, Parenthood, Parenting Toddlers, Parenting Advice, Parenting

Overview

As hard as it very well might be to envision, there exists a somewhat essential nurturing issue that routinely produces a debate about whether to have your kid sleep in a similar bed as you and your accomplice. Fortunately (or sadly, depending on your point of view), there is no consensus on which viewpoint is the “correct” one. What’s more, there’s almost no genuine logical or medical information supporting either position.

Most typical concerns raised during family bed discussions

Proponents of co-sleeping or the family bed point to the fact that in the majority of countries, parents and children sleep on the same bed. They claim that kids are being forced to be independent too early and that human evolution simply can’t keep pace with the new demands our culture is placing on its children. They believe that before a kid can be self-sufficient, he/she must believe that the world is a secure place where their needs will be addressed. Children who sleep on a family bed end up being more autonomous, feel more secure, and more confident than the ones who don’t. Critics, in any case, say that what works in different nations doesn’t generally work here in the US. Early independence is important in America, therefore newborns should learn to be apart from their parents as soon as possible, especially if both of them are working professionals and the children stay in a daycare facility.

The children who co-sleeps, contrary to popular belief, sleep lighter than children who sleep alone (blankets rustling and parents turning over in bed wake them up). However, light sleeping isn’t always a negative thing. Indeed, there appears to be a link between lighter sleep and a decreased risk of Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Even the most soundly sleeping children will wake up every three or four hours to take a brief glance around the room. After a minute or two, the great majority (about 70%) ease themselves back to sleep. However, around 30% of parents or guardians will find something they really must play with in order to get their baby back to sleep.

Clearly, it’s significantly simpler for a nursing mother to reach across her bed for the child than to get up and lurch a few doors down for breastfeeding. According to some studies, this may promote women to breastfeed for extended periods of time. However, problems occur when dads feel displaced by the nursing infant and believe that the only place to get a decent night’s sleep is on the sofa.

The pros of co-sleeping

Try not to be humiliated. You’re not being over-caring, or overindulgent — it’s a decision made by a large number of wise guardians .

. The practice has a long history behind it. For millennia, children have shared a bed with their parents in various societies throughout the world.

in various societies throughout the world. This allows nursing women to obtain more sleep. Some nursing mothers find it simpler to keep their kid close for overnight feedings so that neither the mother nor the child loses sleep.

It gives youngsters a sense of safety and security. Some parents think that isolating a socially active youngster by sending him to bed alone at night is cruel. Others just believe that sleeping near their parents gives youngsters a stronger sense of security and well-being.

Ensure that your bed is big enough to fit everyone. (But no waterbeds, because the infant may roll between you and the mattress.) Put the bed against the wall and have the infant sleep on the wall side, or if your loved one is sleeping on the outer edge, acquire a guard rail. And remember overly soft mattresses¸ comforters, and pillows may pose a risk of suffocation.

Think long and hard before you start this practice. Once your baby has been sleeping in your bed for six to eight months, it’s going to be awfully hard to get your loved one out if you change your mind.

The cons of co-sleeping

Always having a parent around at bedtime can become a strong “sleep onset association,” also called a “sleep crutch” — anything we do for or to our kid in order to assist the child fall asleep at the start of sleep. This sleep association is often referred to as sleep props.

Some children will grow to expect interactions like back massaging, patting, and being held to fall asleep, in addition to establishing the sleep crutch. ” They may be mistaken as nervous or anxious because they struggle to go asleep without a parent nearby, therefore they show worrying behaviors to persuade a parent to stay close at night.

Many parents are afraid that they’ll accidentally roll over their sleeping child if the whole family is sharing the same bed. This is a perfectly legitimate concern.

In the case where either parent is a habitual drinker or takes any medicine that may make you difficult to awaken, or on the other hand in case you’re by and large such a sound sleeper that you’re conscious that you may accidentally stroll over the top of your child. Although, it is a rare situation.

Evenings are often the only time a couple with children has to be alone together. However, when you share a bed with your children, they physically separate you from your partner. There isn’t much time or room for intimacy because of the co-sleeping situation.

Children of various ages require varying amounts of sleep, and their bedtimes reflect this. When parents and older children share a bed, they often turn in much sooner than they would want, owing to the needs of the younger children. This situation can quickly become aggravating for all parties concerned.

There is no proof that sleeping with your infant accelerates the bonding and attachment process

Conclusion

If you do decide to co-sleep, be sure the togetherness you seek fulfills your child’s needs as well as your own. If you are a single parent or your partner is frequently away from home, for example, you should not let your child sleep with you only to alleviate your loneliness.

Children who begin co-sleeping at a young age are unlikely to “grow out” of it once it has become as natural as sleeping with a pillow next to them. Long-term consequences might also be socially detrimental. As the kid grows older, he or she may be unable to engage in activities that other children his or her age enjoy, such as sleepover parties, summer camp, and overnight field excursions. If you’ve been sharing your bed because you believe it would make it easier for your child to sleep, it’s not too late to quit the practice. Within a few days, you should be able to educate your kid to sleep in her own bed.

Citation: https://bloomposts.com/parenting/co-sleeping-the-benefits-and-drawbacks-of-a-family-bed/