Co sleeping with baby may at times seem as if it is the only possible solution to acquiring some sleep when you have just had a newborn. Some parents may find it tough to get up every couple of hours. It may additionally seem unreasonable. Sleeping with baby may seem an easy long term or temporary solution depending on your situation or parenting ethics.
At times, sleeping along with the baby can help extend the duration of naps, although it is not always the solution for the family. This is because a co-sleeping baby can still wake up in the middle of the night just as if they would have on a crib. This can be an added challenge while attempting to transition the baby to the crib. Co sleeping with baby can be successful as it helps your baby sleep better and break the sleep associations.
Solution for co sleeping with baby
In case the baby experiences sleeping problems, co-sleeping can be the ideal solution. Whether you are breastfeeding or using the bottle, if waking up for nights on end are affecting all of you adversely and you feel that your baby is too young to fall asleep on their own, co-sleeping is the best option.
However, for each family, this is a personal decision and it is important to fall asleep safely, more than anything else. Here are certain guidelines for sleeping with baby successfully:
- Sleeping with baby should not be done if you are on medication or drugs or alcohol which makes you drowsy.
- It is best not to smoke in the room you are co sleeping in as it can increase risks of SIDS.
- Co sleeping should not be done on a waterbed or soft mattress.
- Do not sleep with your child at a place where they are exposed to increased risks of them getting stuck in a crevice.
- Do not make the baby sleep beside an older child.
- Sleep on a firm mattress without much adult bedding.
- Consider bed rails from preventing the child from crawling off, if they are toddlers.
If you consider this to be the right solution for your family, you can go ahead with co sleeping with baby. Co sleeping may not be the solution everyone looks for, and parents should try and locate the process which is best suited for their family. Even when sleeping with baby, you might need going through or manage sleep associations to help everyone sleep well.
It is important to consider the habits of parents in understanding whether co sleeping with baby is at all essential for a certain child. Smoking, alcohol and drugs are reasons why the child can accidentally get smothered. For thousands of years, parents have been co sleeping with their infants and this is a practice where the advantages outnumber the disadvantages.
Sleeping with baby depends on your lifestyle and, with the changing practices it is regarded as undesirable in certain cultures. You should evaluate whether co sleeping is necessary for convenience and protection.
