Co-sleeping, or sharing a bed with a child, is a personal preference for many parents and has benefits such as bonding and synchronized sleep cycles. However, organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics discourage it due to the risk of suffocation and strangulation. Safety precautions should be taken if a parent chooses to co-sleep.
Many parents outfit entire nurseries and cribs with the best of intentions, believing their newborn will sleep his childhood in perfectly coordinated bliss, in his own bed. The reality often turns out that the young man ends up sleeping with mom and dad, and for some, that’s just how they like it. Many parents plan to have a “family bed,” as some call it, or practice co-sleeping with their children as a personal preference.
While the term co-sleeping may be new, parents have been sharing a bed with their children since the beginning of time and it certainly remains a standard practice in many places around the world. Our obsession with the co-sleeping debate is easily explained by our cultural fixation with independence and personal self-actualization, coupled with a desire to raise well-adjusted children. Busy schedules, big houses, and say-no experts interfere with what many consider a time-honored, time-tested “normal” lifestyle. Our culture has come to accept that, in general, a baby stays in a cradle or cradle, not just for her own sake, but for that of her parents as well.
Proponents of co-sleeping believe the benefits are significant. The most obvious is the bond that results from co-sleeping. Carrying a baby into your bed makes breastfeeding more comfortable, because the mother doesn’t have to get out of bed to feed the baby, allowing her to remain in a half-awake state. Co-sleeping also synchronizes the mother’s and baby’s sleep cycles. Proponents say babies fall asleep more easily and both mother and baby sleep more generally.
Two of the main proponents are advocates of “attachment parenting” and respected pediatrician Dr. William Sears, author of several books on parenting. Advocates cite studies that say children who are produced by sleep-in households have higher self-esteem, are more positive as children, and have higher rates of an overall sense of satisfaction with life. Studies have shown that mothers and babies fall into a face-to-face sleep position, which can stimulate the baby, helping to regulate the baby’s immature nervous system. They believe this helps prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), because the carbon dioxide a mother breathes out in her exhaled air can be a respiratory stimulant for the baby.
Two powerful organizations, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), have released statements discouraging co-sleeping. They believe that adult beds are no place for children due to two major dangers: strangulation and suffocation. They cite a report that from January 1999 to December 2001, more than 100 children under two died while sleeping in adult beds, although co-sleeping is not the cause of death.
For those against co-sleeping, the risks are many. Waterbeds, soft mattresses and blankets can potentially suffocate a newborn, as can the possibility of getting stuck between a mattress and a wall or headboard. Adults or other children in the bed could roll over and suffocate the infant. Finally, strangulation is a risk of slipping through a footboard or headboard. Although many naysayers claim that co-sleeping increases SIDS, there have been no conclusive studies to show an increased risk.
Many naysayers believe that, emotionally, co-sleeping is bad for the child. They believe that a child who gets used to sleeping with a parent will become clingy and needy and not transition well to a regular bed. Another logical conclusion is that a child who falls asleep next to his parents will have difficulty falling asleep on his own later.
If a parent decides to take their child to bed for co-sleeping, there are many safety precautions to take. Most importantly, make sure both parents are in agreement to avoid problems down the road. Neither parent must be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, whether prescribed or not.
Smoking has been linked to an increased risk of SIDS, so under no circumstances should your baby be exposed to secondhand smoke. Bedding should be firm and light and pillows should be kept away from the child. A king-size bed is preferable, as it gives the occupants room to breathe.
When co-sleeping, it’s smart to keep other babies out of bed, because they won’t be as aware of the baby as mothers and fathers tend to be, even while sleeping. Keep the bed warm, but not hot. Check the headboard and footboard for potential danger areas, and never put a child to sleep in a waterbed. For some, co-sleeping can be an easy and natural choice — use your best judgment to see what works for you and your family.
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