Co-Sleeping 101

The Many Benefits of Co-Sleeping

Co-sleeping used to be a somewhat controversial subject, with some thinking it was a hazardous undertaking. Today, the benefits & the importance of co-sleeping are widely known by many in the medical field. There are even ‘baby-friendly’ hospitals incorporating co-sleeping from day one post birth.  

Sleeping with your baby after they are born is one of the most natural things & most rewarding things you can do. Even more than breastfeeding which sits at the top of important health & wellness factors for your child, co-sleeping has the unique gift of setting you and your child up for a lifelong healthy & loving connection.

Seven positive aspects & benefits of co-sleeping:

1. Continued care from the womb, avoiding abandonment stress for your baby.
2. Easier breastfeeding for mother & baby, when baby is past 6 weeks old & mother learns to breastfeed lying down.
3. Better sleep for mother & baby, no need to wake up, get up & move to a different location, saving time, energy, tears & precious sleeping hours.
4. Reduced risk of SIDS, if parent is not obese, smoking or abusing drugs & alcohol.
5. Stable physiology for baby with body temperature, breathing & heart beat all more stable when co-sleeping.
6. Long-term emotional wellbeing – higher self-esteem, less anxiety, early independence, better behaved in school, less psychiatric problems & more comfortable with affection
7. Better bonding for parents & baby

Those are the seven top benefits of co-sleeping with the risks & downsides of not co-sleeping built in. 

Co-sleeping looks a little different for every family. Some parents choose to sleep in different beds, allowing mother & baby their space & dad or partner the much needed sleep, while others prefer to sleep together, sharing the experience & many benefits of co-sleeping. 

For some, co-sleeping means attaching a cot to the end of their bed while for others, baby sleeps next to mother, either on a flat co-sleeping pillow or specifically designed co-sleeping mat or directly on the bed, tucked under mothers arm or close to the line of her head.


Seven guidelines to safe co-sleeping:

1. Do your research & find out what best suits you as a co-sleeping family – will you co-sleep in the ned, beside the bed, 2 separate beds?
2. Be prepared for co-sleeping  – do you need to get a co-sleeper or a cot that can be attached to your bed?
3. Discuss co-sleeping with your partner & make sure you are on the same page.
4. Do not co-sleep if you or your partner are obese, smoking, taking any medication & drugs or drinking any amount of alcohol.
5. Use a relatively firm mattress & light bedding – no big sloppy snuggly pillows & quilts that may easily suffocate or overheat baby.
6. Do not sleep with your baby on the couch as they may get stuck in-between the grooves & pillows
7. Make sure toddlers & babies sleep separately, do not allow toddler to sleep near a baby as they may daily role over on them or kick them in their sleep. 

Becoming a confidant co-sleeper may take a wee while & allowing yourself the time, patience & dedication (much like you do in Breastfeeding for the first time) is essential to successful co-sleeping. Your body will take a while to get used to sleeping next to your baby, the baby is no longer inside you & your sympathetic nervous system will quickly adjust. Although co-sleeping may feel like second nature right from the get go, your body becomes confident & relaxed over time, all the while changing & shifting its attention as your baby's needs evolve & as your baby grows.

 
Do you co-sleep or are you considering co-sleeping? what worries you the most, what do you enjoy the most about co-sleeping or the idea of it?  

Would love to hear from you <3
 

Love,

Annalee