SLEEP ALL NIGHT

Co-sleeping, also called the family bed, is a practice in which babies and young children sleep with one or both parents, as opposed to a separate infant bed. It has been widely practiced historically, is standard practice in many parts of the world, and is practiced by a significant minority in countries where infant beds are also used. There are conflicting views on its safety and health vis-à-vis a separate infant bed. (Wikipedia)

Being as a standard occurrence in many parts of the world outside of North America, Europe and Australia, in many places with predominant of children have shared a bed with their parents especially in their childhood. 2006 study of children age 3–10 in India reported 93% of children co-sleeping with their parents.

History of Co-Sleeping

• Co-sleeping was widely popular around the wolrd until approximately 19th century, whent the child could have his or her own bedroom and the crib
• Simple explanation of this phenomenon is that co-sleeping simply allows to keep the child warm at night
• Co-sleeping has become more and more prevailant in North America by propotion of attachment parenting
• A 2006 study of families in Kentucky, USA reported 15% of infants and toddlers from 2 weeks to 2 years are co-sleeping.

Proponets of Co-Sleeping say:

• Co-sleeping saves babies’ lives 
• Cosleepingpromotes bonding, lets the parents get more sleep, facilitates breastfeeding
• Co-sleeping protects against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) 
• Older babies can breastfeed during the night without waking their mother

 Opponents of Co-Sleeping say:

• Co-sleeping is stressful for the child
• Parent may promote an unhealthy dependence of the child on the parent(s)
• This practice may interfere with the parents’ own relationship, by reducing both communication and sexual intercourse at bedtime
• Zigmund Freud’s psycho-analysis of mental syndromes, which is based on the child’s memory recall of the parents presence in the same bed, supports the opppnebts’ view on co-sleeping inadequacy
• Modern-day bedding is not safe for co-sleeping.

What sleep and bed are having in common?

• Generally speaking, a bed is a piece of furniture or location primarily used or intended for sleeping upon
• However, it is also commonly used for sexual activities, relaxing, sitting, watching TV, and reading
• Beds come in a wide array of shapes and sizes: single, double, queen, king-size, water-bed, round-bed, rotating bed, etc.
• Early beds were little more than piles of straw or some other natural materials 
• An important change was raising them off the ground, to avoid drafts, dirt, and pests just to support healthy sleep
• To make beds more comfortable the top layer is frequently a mattress (North America style)
• Originally, mattresses were just bags of straw filled with feather or hay
• In the modern day, beds and mattresses have totally different design, suitable for many multiple purposes, including actual sleep and sexual activities
• If parents are so inclined for co-sleeping, the modern king-size mattresses are quire comfortable for this purpose, however the author of this writing does not support this idea.

Watch Video:  Co-Sleeping