Raising your children is surely the most difficult and demanding task you will have in your life (if you decide to have them, of course). All parents and experts have advice and the supposed “formula” that will make everything go smoothly. The constant opinions can be overwhelming and as in everything, there is also a lot of debate about our children's rest: is it good for them to sleep with their parents?
Against co-sleeping
“co-sleeping” is nothing more than sharing a bed with your children. Many people advocate that children from an early age sleep in beds and rooms separate from their parents.
One of the reasons this is often advocated is because of the need for a child to have their own space: sleeping separately from their parents creates greater independence. If a baby gets used to sleeping constantly with his parents, having to do so separately will make it much harder for him to fall asleep since the specific conditions that help him sleep are not there: the body heat of other people, the feeling of protection, the sound of their breathing...
Beyond generating a sleep dependency, it can also cause a great emotional dependency (both of the child for their parents and of the parents for their child).
It is also true that many people who usually sleep with their parents or children end up developing sleep disorders such as insomnia due to the discomfort of their company (movements, noises, bruxism...)
On the other hand, sleeping as a family can damage the parents' relationship , as it reduces the possibilities of having moments of intimacy, in addition to sleep, which is a vital part for the proper functioning of a relationship .
In favor of sleeping with your children
The advantages of sleeping together must be seen from the different ages of the child: the first reason in favor of this is always usually breastfeeding. With newborn babies it is important to have a bond and greater proximity, both for attachment to your baby and for comfort. When sleeping with a breastfed baby, feeding milk during the night is much easier, especially if you sleep nearby and the child has a free way to the breast.
One of the biggest thieves of sleep when being a new parent is the well-being of your baby. Therefore, it is advisable to keep the crib in the room to make sure from time to time that the child is breathing well and that she is not in any bad position. This can calm the parent infinitely, which helps her sleep better.
For slightly older children, it has been seen that sleeping with their parents in times when they tend to have more nightmares, night terrors or sleep paralysis, helps them fall asleep better and in the case of waking up many times during the night. , to go back to sleep sooner.
At any age, it is proven that the experience of sleeping next to someone reinforces attachment bonds.
Is there any clear answer?
The truth is that no. Each family, each parent and each child has a certain way of being: some are more prone to sleeping difficulties and others are more independent. Our advice is that each parent does what they believe is right, as long as it does not harm the health of any member of the family.
And our biggest recommendation is to have a large mattress , so that no matter what happens, there is always room for everyone.
