“Co-sleeping allows for an easier breastfeeding relationship, and research shows that families who co-sleep and breastfeed get more hours of sleep,” certified private-practice lactation consultant and parent coach Leigh Anne O’Connor tells SheKnows. According to La Leche League, if you are a nonsmoker, sober and unimpaired and breastfeeding and your baby is healthy and full-term, on their back and lightly dressed and you both are on a safe surface, “your baby in bed is at no greater risk for SIDS than if he’s nearby in a crib.”, More: I Hated Co-Sleeping, but I Did It Anyway, Co-sleeping makes those regular nighttime feeds easier simply because nursing moms don’t have to leave their beds. 6 Better Bonding Co-sleeping also promotes better bonding between parents and the baby. The practice of parents co-sleeping with their children (sharing the bed with their child or sleeping on different cots in the same room) is quite old, especially in the Eastern cultures where the family is considered above an individual. “We were all finally getting sleep,” she tells SheKnows. However, in most Western countries, the practice of co-sleeping with children is frowned upon and considered emotionally unhealthy. Also, when a family sleeps together, they develop a sleep rhythm of their own, where everyone falls asleep at almost the same time. 3. Many exhausted parents tell me that although co-sleeping may have seemed like a good idea at one point, they recognize once entrenched in the never ending pattern that the opposite of a restful night sleep occurs and in fact, co-sleeping creates additional stress for the entire family. She says, “The impact of chronic co-sleeping on a person’s functioning—younger and older—can run the gamut from increased dependency and anxiety to memory loss, fatigue, low energy, depression, and obesity.”. McKenna’s research suggests that sleeping next to a parent encourages a baby’s healthy breathing patterns. Buy theme-based fun learning kids activity books for preschoolers and 6-12-year-old children with a 10% special launch offer for all the books. You may be creating many conscious bonding moments with your baby, through just making her laugh or taking photographs of her development. Top 10 benefits and tips for parents cosleeping with their babies. Hope you liked this article. If there’s one parenting choice that’s guaranteed to polarize, it’s co-sleeping. Robust health and better immune system: In case of young children, co-sleeping with the mother makes them feel calm, which results in regular heart rhythm and more stable body temperature. Bed-sharing families don’t run the risk of crib-related accidents because babies … They always require the company of their parents to fall asleep. Such dependence results in irregular bedtimes for children, as they tend to wait for their parents who might have irregular bedtimes due to a host of reasons. As a result, they wake up feeling tired and inadequately rested. Never co-sleep if you have been smoking, drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Co-sleeping isn’t for everyone, but if you’re leaning toward it — or just want to feel better about your choice in the face of adversity and judgment — here are some of the pretty amazing benefits of sharing a bed with your kids. A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year. Positive effect on family: Children who sleep alone may wake up during the night feeling lonely and scared or suffering from separation anxiety. This early nurturing can carry over into later childhood and adulthood in the form of what we call well-being.”, Children of all ages can benefit from this feeling of increased security, said O’Connor. Generally, co-sleeping makes for the ultimate night-time comfort for everyone involved. The Risks of Co-Sleeping Bed-sharing is considered dangerous by some, because a sleeping parent could accidentally smother the child, the baby could potentially suffocate under the bed covers, or the baby could roll off the bed. Children who cosleep are generally more independent and secure, develop close and lasting bonds to their families, and report more happiness and general life satisfaction than children who sleep alone. I’ve experienced the backlash against sharing a bed with my baby firsthand. 4. It is still socially taboo to admit that you share sleep with toddlers or older children, but research shows that the taboo is unfounded. Co-sleeping provides children the opportunity to cuddle up with their parents, if they share the same bed. Co-sleeping is a hot topic of discussion among parents with many arguments on either side. She carried our babies for 9 months. There, I said it. 3. The lowest SIDS rates in the world coincide with high rates of co-sleeping. Your baby should be on their back on a firm sleep surface with a tight-fitting sheet and away from soft bedding, including blankets, pillows and soft toys. Increased sleep problems: Children who tend to co-sleep with their parents report increased instances of sleep problems than children who sleep alone. According to the findings of a study by Cortesi et al published in the journal Behavioral Sleep Medicine in 2008, “Results suggested that cosleepers have a significantly later bedtime, shorter nighttime sleep duration, higher Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) bedtime resistance and sleep anxiety scores, and more behavioral and emotional problems compared to other groups.”. A good friend of mine once told me, “Don’t ever let your kids in your bed, because you will never get them out.” That advice stayed with me. Not only are parents close by to respond to the baby if something goes wrong, but co-sleeping makes it easier for the breastfeeding mom to nurse throughout the night. 4. Also, when they sleep with their parents, it helps them open up and speak about the happenings of the day or any other specific problem they may have. Also, children require more hours of sleep than adults. In her article, ‘The Dangers of Co-Sleeping With an Older Child and 6 Strategies to Stop It’, published in the Huffington Post (July 14, 2015), Dr Kate Roberts highlights some of the dangers of co-sleeping. Napping with your toddler falls under co-sleeping , and it has its benefits as one of the aspects of attachment parenting . Increased dependence on parents: It is generally seen that young children who co-sleep with their parents during the night are unable to sleep on their own even during the daytime. One of the benefits of co-sleeping is that it puts babies at lower risk of crib-related injuries and fatalities. As a result, transitioning from wakefulness to sleep becomes difficult for them and they stay awake. More: A Co-Sleeper’s Guide to Getting It On. One implicit rationale for having babies and children sleep separately from their parents is to encourage greater independence in the child. My baby would be curled up in my arm, and once he’d awaken, I’d slip up my top and offer my breast. Young children internalize their environment, which then develops into their worldview: the way they see life, others and themselves. Although you’re sleeping, you’re aware of his presence.”, According to pediatrician Dr. William Sears, kids who co-sleep tend to have more confidence, less anxiety and are overall more well-adjusted than children who don’t co-sleep. Of course, you end up sleeping yourself and waking up a few hours later! For example, the newborn baby and the neonate is extremely neurologically immature at birth and thus the contact and proximity of its mother, the exchange of sensory signals and cues is very much promotion of survival and wellbeing of that baby. But when children sleep beside their parents, such instances are rare, as being beside their parents makes them feel reassured. The most important benefit is that it can help lower the risk of SIDS by up to 50 percent. More: Actually, Sleeping With My 5-Year-Old Is Pretty Great. What are the cons of co-sleeping? A 2005 study published in Paediatric Respiratory Reviews revealed that babies who co-sleep may be at less risk for sudden infant death syndrome than babies who sleep alone.  â€¢ 9 min read. The amount of CO2 a mom (or dad) expires in their breath acts as a … This leads to children learning better sleep habits. * Arundhati Swamy is a counsellor and the Head of Parent Engagement Programs at ParentCircle. What are the Assuming that their young child has fallen asleep, when couples start discussing their problems, they let the secret out to their child as well. If You're Thinking About Buying a Nectar Mattress, You'll Want to Read This First, ‘Sexy’ Halloween Costumes for Little Girls Need to Stop. Toddler Tips Twins Contact (We’re Hiring Writers!) They go on to argue that safe co-sleeping has great benefits and share research from several studies of cultures outside of the U.S. that practice co-sleeping: In Japan where co-sleeping and breastfeeding (in the absence of maternal smoking) is the cultural norm, rates of the sudden infant death syndrome are the lowest in the world. Co-sleeping can make it easier for you to respond to your baby , settle her more quickly and hopefully get some better quality sleep at the same time (ISIS nda, Ward 2015, Baddock et al 2006, Blair and Inch nd). “I believe it’s most likely due to the increased bonding/attachment to the child’s primary caregiver,” she tells SheKnows. “Sleeping close to the parent probably increases oxytocin, the ‘happy hormone’,” says Darcia Narvaez, professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame, who … Ensure your bed is free from unused pillows, stuffed toys, heavy covers and comforters and anything nearby that dangles or tangles, such as cords, strings, scarves, ribbons and elastics. What is Co-Sleeping? It’s very true that the functions of co-sleeping changes with the age of the child. Shorter periods of deeper-stage sleep encouraged by co-sleeping may protect babies with arousal deficiencies, which have been linked to SIDS. Both sides have their valid arguments. Co-sleeping or bed sharing with an infant has become a topic of discussion in the United States, most recently in KSPR’s (ABC News affiliate) coverage of an infant death in Missouri. You see, Heather did most of the work. If you have been bed-sharing or co-sleeping, often parents worry that continuing this practice into toddlerhood will lead to negative outcomes for the child.But is … Co-sleeping is the single most gratifying thing I have done as a father. Sleeping with your parents as a child may be the reason you grew up to be a hugger. Search for: Benefits of Co-Sleeping With Your Baby February 6, 2019 October 16, 2020 Once you have a child, your whole life is going to change. The practical benefits of bed sharing are obvious. Copyright © 2020 SheKnows Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. When I had Find … To get expert tips and read interesting articles on a wide variety of parenting topics, Subscribe Now to our magazine. Having your baby next to you in her own sleeping space means you can easily be alerted to any potential breathing issues she might experience during the night. The amount of CO2 a mom (or dad) expires in their breath acts as a potential backup if the baby’s own breathing ability slows down or fluctuates. Here are a few benefits of co-sleeping with your child: 2. Poor quality and inadequate amount of sleep: The fear of rolling over and crushing their child or the child frequently moving and touching the parent prevents many parents from sleeping well at night. How to stop co-sleeping with your newborn to 18-month-old The good news is your baby’s sleep habits are still highly adaptable at this age, but to train your infant to be comfortable in their own bassinet or crib, you’ll need to be consistent about making sure that all sleep happens in that space. McKenna’s research suggests that sleeping next to a parent encourages a baby’s healthy breathing patterns. 1. Co-sleeping: the basics The safest place for your baby to sleep in their first six months is in a separate Moses basket or cot in the same room as you. In addition to the benefits of breastfeeding, the act of sucking increases oxygen flow, which is beneficial for both growth and immune functions. "There is an instinctive need for the mother to be close to her baby," says Cynthia Epps, M.S., a certified lactation educator at the Pump Station in Santa Monica, Calif. Ironically, most research suggests that co-sleeping fosters greater independence and autonomy as children grow, according to Kids Internet Radio 1⭐⭐This is a verified and trusted source Goto Source . The thing is, you’re so in tune with your baby that once you feel him rousing from sleep, you’re also up. Here's a look at the benefits, risks, and guidelines for each. It was effortless, and we’d both fall back asleep. Here we look at the pros and cons of co-sleeping with your baby. While some endorse it, some don’t. 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