As if we didn’t already have enough to worry about, a new study says not to feel guilty about letting your children share the bed with you. However, do be worried about SIDS and suffocating a child if you take the risk.
This topic seems to be one that comes up more often with first children. I let my first child sleep in the bed with me all the time. Looking back, I don’t know that it was a great choice for me because getting him OUT of that bed turned into a real challenge! I took note of that when it came to my other children and I never got the habit going.
Thankfully, like the study said, I don’t think letting him sleep in bed with me really caused any affects on him socially or otherwise. So, do they sleep in bed with you or do you make that off limits?
You may also like
3 thoughts on “Guilty about the bed?”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Our children did not sleep in bed with us when they were infants, but as soon as they could get out of their own bed, they would find a way to crawl into ours. While the contact with them was sweet, the fact of the matter was I had a double bed and a husband who is 6 foot four who had to work the next day, and whose presence in the bed would keep him awake. I would quietly take the child out of the room and back to their bed, where I would cuddle with them until he/she would fall asleep. I treasure those moments, and I hope they do, too.
My 10 month old daughter has slept in our bed since day one, and both my husband and I love it. It makes night nursing easier, and the snuggling is priceless. I’m dreading the transition to her own bed at some point, mostly more for me than her! I’m going to miss her too much.
There are safe rules to co-sleeping that parents should be aware of:
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/sleep-safety/safe-co-sleeping-habits
Bedsharing does not cause SIDS, btw. The cause of SIDS is unknown and can happen just as easily in a crib.
A friend of mine shared this article with me recently. It is really interesting and talks about the research, issues, and best practices when it comes to co-sleeping. It also distinguishes between the dangerous forms of co-sleeping, and those that are safer and recommended, dispelling the overgeneralized myth that all co-sleeping is bad and leads to SIDS.
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/cosleeping-and-biological-imperatives.html?spref=fb