Albanian Pages

Since the beginning of time mothers have been co-sleeping with their babies.  In fact, only within the last 2 centuries has become viewed as appropriate for mothers and their babies to sleep separately.  Nevertheless, research still supports co-sleeping by saying that babies who sleep with their mothers cry less often and nurse longer.  There is also some proof that co-sleeping protects a baby from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).  This is because babies who sleep with their mother tend to sleep less soundly, which means that they are aroused more often b the presence of their mother.

So, what exactly is co-sleeping?  Sometimes it is also referred to as the “family bed” or “shared sleeping arrangements.”  Regardless of what you call it, it simply means that your baby is either sleeping with you, or very close to you.

This sleeping arrangement is very popular with some parents, especially whenever the mother is nursing.  Nevertheless, it is also very helpful whenever the baby is waking up off and on throughout the night since parents do not have to get out of bed to go care for their baby.  Then, once the baby gets older, many parents still enjoy the nighttime bonding that co-sleeping provides.

Of course, there are many ways in which you can establish this co-sleeping arrangement, including:
1.    If you have a king-sized bed you can share a family bed in which you, the parents, sleep together with your baby in one bed.
2.    A side-by-side sleeping arrangement is when the child sleeps on a separate mattress on the floor next to their parents’ bed.
3.    Whenever a cradle or crib is placed adjacent to the parent’s bed, sometimes with one of the crib’s sides removed, this is called a “sidecar” sleeping arrangement.
4.    It is also possible to simply have the baby and parents have separate beds but share the same room.

Just as these sleeping arrangements vary from one home to the next, sleeping situations also vary from one home to the next as well.  Some of the most common sleeping situations include:
1.    Some parents sleep with their baby for both naps and at night.
2.    Some parents sleep with their baby sometimes then let their baby sleep in their own cribs at other times.
3.    Some mothers have dual beds: 1 bed that they share with their baby and 1 with their husband.  They move between beds based upon the baby’s needs and how tired they are.
4.    Some parents have several beds in different rooms and simply shift from place to place depending upon what is going on each night.
5.    Some parents give their baby their own bed and only welcome her into the family bed when she has a bad dream, is sick or needs cuddled.

If you are trying to decide what will work best for your family you simply need to figure out what feels best for you.  No one thing will work for everyone because each family has different needs.  You may even find that there are several good options within your own family too.  You need to take your own habits into consideration though whenever you are making this decision.  It is also important to remember that this is a personal decision and cannot take into consideration what others think either.  Instead, you will have to do what works for you regardless of what others have to say about it to you.

Whatever you do, you need to make sure that it is safe if your baby is going to be co-sleeping with you.  Here are some of the safety measures that you should take:
1.    Fitted sheets need to be kept secure and not be able to be pulled lose.
2.    Make sure that your baby cannot become stuck between the bed and wall or other furniture.
3.    Using mesh guard rails are good if your bed is raised off of the floor as long as there is no space wherein the baby can get caught.
4.    While mothers instinctually know where and when their baby will move, other family members do not.  Therefore the baby should be placed only by the mother where they can wake her with minimal noise or movement.
5.    Be sure that your bedroom is safe for your baby in case she gets out of bed without waking you.
6.    Do not co-sleep with your baby if you have drank alcohol, taken drugs or are an extremely sound sleeper.
7.    Be careful whenever using pillows and blankets.  These should actually be removed from your bed during the early months.
8.    Make sure that your clothing does not have any strings or long ribbons.
9.    Do not wear jewelry to bed.
10.    Tie up your hair if it is long.
11.    Do not use any strong perfumes or lotions.
12.    Do not allow pets to sleep in bed with you and your baby.

As of now you should realize that there are no proven safety devices for use in co-sleeping.  However, there are a lot of parents who want to safely co-sleep so there are a lot of new inventions appearing on the market today.  It will not hurt to at least take a look at some of these nests, wedges and cradles.

Over the course of time sleeping situations go through a lot of transformations.  You may choose to co-sleep until you feel that your child is ready to sleep on their own.  Other families may choose to make modifications to help their baby sleep better on their own at night.  Whatever you decide, go with the flow.  Make adjustments as you need them.

There really are a lot of great benefits, and very few disadvantages, to co-sleeping. While the changing views of the past several decades have made the practice of co-sleeping undesirable in some cultures, it really is up to each parent to decide what is right for them.  Remember, our ancestors have routinely slept with their babies for both convenience and protection.  So, as you can see, only you can decide if co-sleeping is right for you and your family.