Many people believe that sharing a bed with your baby is the most dangerous thing to do. If you do share a bed with your baby, you would have often heard, “you are putting your baby at the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)” or “you won’t have any privacy when you share a bed with your baby” Surprisingly all these assumptions are merely myths that do not have any scientific support. In actuality, co-sleeping can be valuable for you and your baby both, rather than letting your baby sleep in an infant lounger, crib, bassinet, or a cot.
Co-sleeping is essentially the concept of sharing a bed with your little one. In many cultures, co-sleeping is a common practice, while in others it is not considered as safe. In this article, I will be writing some potential gains of co-sleeping that might bring you in favor of the idea of co-sleeping, if you are against it. Just before I start, let me ask you a question; wouldn’t you love to put your baby beside you on his/her baby pillow? I bet you would adore that as it will bring you inner satisfaction of having a constant eye on your baby. Oh well, I just answered the question myself but, do think about it. Now, let’s get straight to the pluses of co-sleeping.
Co-sleeping can enhance the emotional bond between you and your baby
People who are against co-sleeping would be wondering how is that even possible? Let me tell you:
- When you put your baby close to you, he/she is able to touch you and can feel your warmth.
- They feel secure and do not get scared during nighttime.
- For a durable emotional bond, closeness and protection are two crucial factors, and co-sleeping, fortunately, provides both.
Co-sleeping can lead the baby to form a secure attachment with his/her parents, as he/she develops a strong belief that there is someone who always looks out for him/her.
Co-sleeping assists the baby to develop the proper sleep pattern
When a baby is born, he/she has a very irregular sleeping pattern. Most babies sleep throughout the day and wake up when it’s night time. When a baby co-sleeps with his/her parents, he/she develops a day and night routine. During the daytime, parents can give time to their young ones by playing with them. You must be thinking, how is it even possible to stop your baby from sleeping during day time? Well, yes it will take time but it is not unimaginable to make such a routine. When the baby will observe constantly that his/her parents are sleeping during nighttime and interacting with him/her more during day time, he/she will adapt to the mundane.
Nursing mothers can fulfill their baby’s needs without having to go anywhere.
When a baby sleeps in a separate room, mothers often have to wake up at midnight to feed their babies. Alternatively, when a baby co-sleeps with his/her parents, a mother can easily feed her baby without getting out of her bed. It has another pro too, and that is it gives the mother the advantage of getting more rest in contrast to those mothers who do not co-sleep with their babies.
Co-sleeping can lead to better physiological health of the baby.
Researches have shown that babies who are closer to their parents or co-sleep with their parents during nighttime have a more stable heartbeat, steady body temperatures, and have less risk of SIDS. The reason behind this is that babies feel protected, their bodies are more relaxed around their parents, and parents can check them on and off during their sleep; this lowers the risk of any trouble in which a baby might get involved if he/she is sleeping alone.
Now, if you are scared to keep your baby close to yourself during nighttime, and you think that you might hurt your baby, then I have a solution for that too. Following are some of the guiding principles with the help of which parents can co-sleep with their babies more securely:
- Keep blankets and pillows away from the face of your baby to avoid suffocating or overheating.
- Do not co-sleep with your baby if you are a smoker or alcoholic.
- Do not allow bigger children to share a bed with your baby to avoid injuries.
- Do not co-sleep with your baby on a sofa or chair as it is not safe that way.
- If you are obese, do not share the same bed with your baby, instead, share the same room and put the baby near you inside a bassinet or cot.
- When co-sleeping with your baby, do not put your baby in the middle as it can lead to high temperatures. As a substitute, place your baby beside you to lower the risk of SIDS as well.
If you want your baby to grow up with higher self-esteem and a secure personality, you must opt for co-sleeping. The above-mentioned benefits are enough to prove that co-sleeping can be helpful for you and your baby if you keep in mind the precautionary guidelines while doing it.
