In the Western world, children sleeping with parents is far less common than in other cultures, but it has gained in popularity in recent years. According to Baby Center, in the U.S. the rate of babies seven months old or younger who slept with parents rose from 5.5 percent in 1993 to 12.8 percent in 2000.
Options
Families who choose to allow children to sleep with the parents choose from a variety of options for cosleeping. Some parents opt to have the child in the same bed as the parents on a regular basis, while others only occasionally cosleep when the child. Some parents establish a separate space for the child within arm's reach of the mother, either using a cosleeper that attaches to the side of the adult bed or in a separate crib or bed next to the parents' bed.
Benefits
According to Dr. Sears, babies who sleep with parents have better sleep patterns, bond better and have a reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. The mother of a baby who sleeps with her also has more and better quality sleep than a mother whose child is in a separate room. The Mother-Baby Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame reports that children who sleep with parents are less fearful and have less tantrums than solitary sleepers. In school, children who slept with parents had less behavioral and psychological problems than their solitary sleeping peers. Upon reaching college age, males who coslept with parents as children have lower anxiety and higher self-esteem.
Disadvantages
A major concern with cosleeping, according to Baby Center, is a worry that the parent will accidentally crush or smother the child. Parents may also express concerns that maintaining sexual intimacy with each other becomes more difficult if children sleep with them. Parents who allow a small child to sleep in the bed may also experience difficulty transitioning the child to his own bed later.
Breastfeeding
Babies who sleep with their mothers experience higher rates of breastfeeding than other babies, according to many organizations. The World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend a minimum of six months' exclusive breastfeeding with continued breastfeeding for two years or more, for as long as the mother and child desire. According to the World Health Organization, babies who cosleep nurse three times as long as solitary sleepers during night nursing sessions and that cosleeping mother-baby pairs maintain the breastfeeding relationship for a longer time period.
Contraindications
Parents who smoke, are obese or under the influence of alcohol or drugs should never sleep with an infant or small child in the same bed. Unsafe sleeping surfaces, such as waterbeds or soft bedding that can potentially smother a small child or baby, should not be used.
