What is co-sleeping?
Co-sleeping is a long-standing practice in which a baby sleeps close to their parents. Although many people believe that co-sleeping means a child is sleeping in the same bed as their parents, this isn’t necessarily true. While some co-sleeping families choose to share a bed, for others it simply means having a child sleep in their own bed in the same room as their parents.
There are many differing opinions on co-sleeping. Some claim that it has many benefits for the child and their parents. Some of the benefits of co-sleeping include:
- Babies fall asleep faster and sleep longer.
- It makes breastfeeding during the night more comfortable.
- Some studies suggest that babies who co-sleep with their parents form stronger emotional bonds with them.
- Mothers who co-sleep report feeling less tired, even when their babies are newborns.
For some families, co-sleeping is simply a practical matter. For example, a family who doesn’t have much spare room might find it easier to co-sleep rather than to have a separate room for the baby. This is especially true if the baby still doesn’t have a set sleep pattern and wakes up crying during the night, which could disrupt other family members’ sleep.