Some of the advantages of allowing children to sleep in the same bed with their parents are: The child and parents will be at peace of mind. The comfort toddlers receive from co-sleeping actually helps them to … The presence of a parent can ease baby through the transitions from light sleep to deep sleep which happen in the sleep cycles several times throughout the night. Becoming privy to the problems, yet being unable to understand everything, can adversely impact the child’s mental health. 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. 3 National Sleep Foundation (2005). 3 National Sleep Foundation (2005). Older children often end up depending on their parents’ presence to fall asleep and might be reluctant to sleep solo. There are many differing opinions on co-sleeping. There are many differing opinions on co-sleeping. Find a chore your kid loves to do, and start a habit of wanting to help out that'll last a lifetime. Everything you need to thrive at home as a family. Adults who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to suffer from obesity, depression, heart disease, and diabetes. Pro: It fosters closeness. Healthy Parents- Most people know that kids are safer when parents are not drinking, smoking, or loaded up on drugs…prescription or nonprescription. Besides the pleasure that a good sleep gives us, sleep is essential for conserving energy, strengthening our bodies and learning new information, as well as improving the immune and endocrine systems. Furthermore, a child sleeping with his parents gets used to their presence and then faces problems when left with a babysitter or a relative. What is Co-Sleeping? It should be common sense that a child should not be sleeping with their parents. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school. As a result, transitioning from wakefulness to sleep becomes difficult for them and they stay awake. Assuming that their young child has fallen asleep, when couples start discussing their problems, they let the secret out to their child as well. The practical benefits of bed sharing are obvious. Now that you know some of the pros and cons of co-sleeping with your child, you would be in a better position to make a decision. (sharing the bed with their child or sleeping on different cots in the same room). The key to it all is to have a good dose of patience and not to forget that the child will end up sleeping sooner or later, just like all children do. Also, when a family sleeps together, they develop a sleep rhythm of their own, where everyone falls asleep at almost the same time. With so much research being carried out on co-sleeping, let’s look at some of the common pros and cons suggested in most of these studies: 1. Co-sleeping provides children the opportunity to cuddle up with their parents, if they share the same bed. "And it can cement the emotional bond between mother and child.". Better sleep habits: Young children are full of energy and don’t know how to unwind themselves when they lie down to sleep on the bed. Co-sleeping does provide that bonding experience between parent and child — on both ends. Indeed, according to data compiled by NPR, a low-risk baby has a 1 in 16,400 chance of dying from SIDS in a parent’s bed. Benefits Of Co-Sleeping With Your Baby Though co-sleeping may not suit every family, its advantages may benefit your family (2). This is why it is important you read more on the negative aspects of sleeping with your children before you make the decision to sleep with them. Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The amount of CO2 a mom (or dad) expires in their breath acts as a … Prevent SIDS-Babies who sleep in the same room as a parent have a 10.5X LOWER risk of dying! Pixabay/smpratt90. So, anyone who is considering this decision simply needs to decide if the circumstances are safe for the baby or child. Parents especially seem to pay the steepest price, due to the unpredictable sleep patterns of children. And the practice can also negatively affect older children, who may become dependent on bed sharing as a sleep crutch. Learn to recognize the first signs of labor approaching, which signal that your little one might make an appearance soon. While some endorse it, some don’t. To get expert tips and read interesting articles on a wide variety of parenting topics, Subscribe Now to our magazine. While some people consider co-sleeping to mean that baby is within arm’s reach, others qualify it as parents and baby sleeping in the same room. 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