When you have one or more small children, a problem regarding the sleeping situation may arise, which many parents are familiar with: Should the child sleep in the same bed, the same room, or come and cuddle during the night? This is also known as co-sleeping. Or should one be more consistent and let the child sleep in their own room, thereby also giving the much-stressed parents a nighttime break?
There are both divided opinions among parents and among researchers on this topic, so the point here is that parents should do what they find best.
Advantages of co-sleeping
What advantages should one base their choice on if they choose to sleep in the same bed or room with their child? Here are some of them:
- If the child needs to be breastfed or comforted, one can stay in bed or quickly return to bed and get their sleep.
- The child feels security and trust in their surroundings, and it can be calming when the child hears and feels their parents and/or siblings close by.
- The feeling of security and trust releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps create a sense of trust in the child.
- Co-sleeping creates a lasting bond between parents and child because they have increased physical and mental presence together.
Advantages of the child sleeping in their own room
However, the above-mentioned advantages of co-sleeping can also be achieved if the child sleeps in their own room. Parents can thus easily build the same security and trust in the child if they sleep in their own room.
To establish this sense of security in the child, it is important to introduce some rituals that show the child that you are close, no matter what. A well-known sleeping ritual is that the parents lie down in bed with the child until they fall asleep. If the child wakes up during the night, the parents can do the same and lie down with the child and cuddle until the child sleeps.
A good idea regarding the child sleeping in their own room could be to invest in a good junior bed that the child has been involved in choosing. This makes both the bed and the area cozy and safe, as the child knows all about it. For example, a slide could make the sleeping area more fun.
Disadvantages of co-sleeping
Even though it can be safe and cozy when children and parents sleep together, it can also lead to poor nighttime sleep. Here it is important that each person has their own duvet so that they can adjust the temperature themselves and sleep independently of each other. The bed must also be large enough for everyone to fit.
The child's needs often come first, but parents should still consider their own needs for intimacy in the marital bed over time.
