I just got a request from a journalist who wanted to interview me about Cosleeping, that is sleeping with the child or children in the parents' bed. Obviously this is a controversial topic. In fact, there was a very funny scene in the new independent film "Away We Go". The scene made CoSleeping seem like a crazy sixties hippie-like thing to do. When I discuss couples' sleep positions (Just type in couples sleep positions in my search to find those insights) I point out the importance of the couples connecting with each other during sleep. The research on Cosleeping--also called family bed sleeping--shows quite a long list of benefits for the child. Babies who Cosleep have less stress and more self confidence and parents create a deeper bond and sense of understanding with their children.(See below for more benefits as well as warnings.) I have spent years researching touch and body language. There are so many things healthy touch can do. It is an amazing thing. For all the health and psychological benefits of touch you can read the chapter in my body language book or check out my website. I have friends and relatives who practiced Cosleeping with their children and they are now the most confident, happy kids I have ever seen. There is research on how wonderful it is for the baby to Cosleep, but there are dangers for babies as well. I like the idea of the family cuddling together in a big family bed, and then, for safety, moving small babies to a separate bed to sleep. Of course no matter the choice the parents make they have to make sure they get a good nights sleep! Personally, when I was a baby and growing up my family slept in their own beds, but on Sunday mornings my sisters and I would all run in and jump on our parents' bed. We would cuddle as we talked, laughed and read the funnies. It made me feel connected to my family and also let me see my parents as a couple side by side. All very wonderful and healthy ways to spend time as a family.Below is information on Co-Sleeping provided by Wikipedia.
Stress hormones are lower in mothers and babies who co-sleep, specifically the balance of the stress hormone cortisol, the control of which is essential for a baby's healthy growth.[11][12][13][14]
In studies with animals, infants who stayed close to their mothers had higher levels of growth hormones and enzymes necessary for brain and heart growth.[15][16]
The physiology of co-sleeping babies is more stable, including more stable temperatures, more regular heart rhythms, and fewer long pauses in breathing than babies who sleep alone.[17][18]
Co-sleeping may promote long-term emotional health. In long-term follow-up studies of infants who slept with their parents and those who slept alone, the children who co-slept were happier, less anxious, had higher self-esteem, were less likely to be afraid of sleep, had fewer behavioral problems, tended to be more comfortable with intimacy, and were generally more independent as adults.[19][20][21][22] However, a recent study (see below under dangers) found different results if co-sleeping was initiated only after nighttime awakenings.
Co-sleeping is known to be dangerous for any child when a parent smokes, but there are other risk factors as well.[5] Some common advice given is to keep a baby on its back, not its stomach, that a child should never sleep with a parent who smokes, is taking drugs (including alcohol) that impede alertness, or is obese.[23] It is also recommended that the bed should be firm, and should not be a water bed or couch; and that heavy quilts, comforters, and pillows should not be used. Young children should never sleep next to babies under nine months of age.[24] It is often recommended that a baby should never be left unattended in an adult bed even if the bed surface itself is no more dangerous than a crib surface.
