Co-sleeping is the practice of children sharing space with one or both parents as opposed to having a separate room. Co-bedding is when the child shares the same bed with one or both parents. It was originally thought that co-sleeping varied by economic classes, with lower economic classes being less able to provide a separate room for each child. But it has since been studied that co-sleeping is based more on regions and cultural backgrounds rather than economic status. Co-sleeping is more commonly practiced outside of the United States, Europe, and Australia. However, co-sleeping has seen a revitalization within the western cultures within the last several years.
There are many pros and cons to co-sleeping and it has grown to become a hotly debated topic amongst the parenting crowd. One of the largest concerns is the safety of the child. It has been recommended by experts that parents not participate in co-sleeping if they regularly consume alcohol, use drugs, suffer from sleep apnea, are overly tired or exhausted, or obese. The younger the child the greater the concern for suffocation. Children should always sleep on a firm surface on their backs. Co-sleeping should never be done on a water bed, couch, or recliner. And there should never be heavy blankets, soft toys, or other paraphernalia around the baby. There is the option of a bedside bassinet, which connects to the side of the bed allowing for closeness with less risk to the infant being smothered. There should also be a consideration if there are other children sharing the bed as well. A toddler or young child may not be as careful or conscious of the presence of an infant in the bed as a parent would be, and could cause accidental injury during the night.
On the positive side of co-sleeping, it is thought to help promote breast feeding and better sleep for the mother. Women that breastfeed are able to do so without having to get out of bed multiple times during the night to nurture their babies. The ability to stay laying down in bed allows the mother to nurture her baby as needed without completely waking herself, therefore making it easier to resume sleeping after the child’s needs have been met. With the child so close it also allows the mother to meet the needs quicker, which stops the child from fully waking up either and resuming sleep quicker after their immediate needs have been met.
There has been research done showing that the risk of SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome, is dramatically decreased in regions where co-sleeping is the norm. Infants that co-sleep primarily sleep on their backs which decreases the chance of SIDS. There has also been research that suggests the carbon dioxide exhaled by the parents stimulates the baby’s breathing. The immediate closeness of parent to infant is also physiologically safer. The infants that co-sleep display more stable temperatures, regular heart rhythms, and fewer long pauses between breathing.
In the case of one first time mom, who had not planned on co-sleeping with her infant, it was their salvation during a rough time. Her baby had been born with allergies that made breastfeeding and sleeping very difficult. After a very exhausted attempt to breastfeed she fell asleep with her infant in her arms and woke up three hours later to a new idea. Her infant was only five weeks old when she began co-sleeping and it was the only way that her baby would stay asleep for longer than an hour at a time. Unfortunately as she researched and learned how to appropriately co-sleep with her infant, she faced opposition from her spouse, family, society, and even some of her pediatricians. She made the decision to proceed with co-sleeping, despite the opposition, and found it to be the only way to successfully get her infant to sleep regularly. As her daughter grew older and they were able to control the allergies that stopped her from sleeping well, they continued to co-sleep together. As her daughter progressed from infancy to a toddler, her mother noted that their bond was very strong, her daughter has a wonderful streak of independence, and it allows them to have quality special time together every night. The down side to co-sleeping is that her daughter now requires mom to come to bed as well to fall asleep, afterwards mom can get back up while the child remains asleep. But experiencing co-sleeping with all of its ups and downs is something that she has no regrets about and would gladly do it again with any future children.
It is ultimately the decision of the parents on whether they wish to participate in co-sleeping or not. Each family situation is different and may or may not be conducive to practicing co-sleeping. Parents should assess if they have any risk factors or not, research the options, and agree on how to proceed for the best interest of their child.