As a parent, your life is constantly filled with making decisions. What food should you feed your child? When should you introduce formula? How old should your child be before they start sleeping on their own, and the very infamous one, should you co-sleep with your baby, or shouldn’t you?
Many studies have been conducted on this topic. Some for it, many against it. However, new studies have revealed some interesting results making the option to co-sleep a little enticing.
Safe co-sleeping
A lot of the controversy around co-sleeping centres on the safety of your baby. In 2014, a study revealed that at least 69 percent of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) was as a result of co-sleeping. While the results are shocking, there are ways of making co-sleeping safer. One very important consideration and one which dramatically reduces the risk of SIDS is co-sleeping only once your baby is at least 6 months old.
Long-term impact
While co-sleeping can be your solution to getting a restful night of sleep; many say it has adverse effects on the kids once they’re older. A study conducted by researcher Lauren Hale from the Stony Brook University shows otherwise. Once socio-demographic factors like status, education, parenting style and ethnicity were taken into account, the results confirmed that co-sleeping was not a cause for any developmental problems later in life.
Durham University Researcher, Helen Ball from the United Kingdom couldn’t understand how sleeping next to a parent could attract such negative suggestions. She concluded her thoughts saying, “So many bedtime battles and children’s ‘sleep problems’ arise due to the mismatch between children’s instinctive sleep needs, and parental efforts to conform to 21stCentury sleep expectations.”
What should you do?
You know your child best and understand what they need most. For some kids, the transition to their bed will be easy once they reach their toddler years. For others, it might be a bit later. Embrace where your child is. There’s no set rule – so you have the freedom to decide what works best for you and your family.
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