Parenting Co-Sleeping Has More Advantage

Parenting

Co-sleeping has more advantage than disadvantage for infants

Infant sleeping has mainly been a western practice where the training of children to sleep alone through the night is almost two centuries old. Previously to the late 1700s co sleeping has been the standard in all societies (Davies, 1995). However, currently, in most cultures the practice of co sleeping continues, with infants seen as normal extensions of their mothers for the initial one to two years of life.

According to sleep lab studies, the benefits of co sleeping include nursing of infants with more frequency throughout the night rather then babies sleeping in separate room or bed. This increase more interaction of mothers with their babies. However, upon awaking for the morning mothers have little recollection of those interactions.

Has Co-sleeping more Advantages than Disadvantage for Infants?

The question is whether co-sleeping has more advantages than disadvantage for infants? The world's leading breastfeeding organization, La Leche League International has always recommended co sleeping from birth (LLLI, 1997), along with many other professional lactation consultants (Heinig, 2000). However, when it comes to study about co-sleeping, there is good news as well as bad news. The good news is that there is research that suggests benefits to parents and infants who share a bed or room through the night (Heinig, 2000).

On the contrary, there exist connection between co-sleeping and SIDS. However, little has been done that inquires into its qualitative or long-term aspects. Thus, unless proper analytical research is done on the disadvantages of co sleeping, one can continue to draw conclusion based on the benefits of co sleeping within the American as well as with other studies carried on in other cultures abroad.

Regardless of frequent arousals during the cosleeping studies and researches, the mothers stated that they got more sleep in co sleeping as compared to sleeping separate from their babies (McKenna et al., 1994). Furthermore, undisturbed night nursing is a natural child spacing; while at the same time, co sleeping also helps in reducing night fears of the babies and provides satisfaction to the maternal protective instinct. Several cosleeping advocates think that cosleeping, which is a part of attachment and natural parenting eventually leads to more confident, positive approach, and independent children (Sears, 1995).

On the other hand, in past, pediatric experts have explained that children co sleeping has severe negative effects on both parents and children. Dr. Spock, Dr. Brazelton, and Dr. Ferber, who are child care authors and experts, have criticized parents who co slept as they create negative behavior or sleep disorders in their children, and encourage unhealthy childhood dependency. While for the parents cosleeping is harmful to their marriages (Ball, Hooker, & Kelly, 1999).

Benefits of Co sleeping for infants

Even though researchers have provided studies that show both advantages and disadvantages of co sleeping, yet looking all together, it can be said that co sleeping has more advantages then disadvantages for the infants. Below are few positive aspects of cosleeping:

Promotion of Physiological Regulation in Babies by Co-sleeping:

The closeness of the parent help the infant's undeveloped nervous system learns to self-regulate during sleep (Ball, Hooker, & Kelly, 1999). At the same it may also help in preventing SIDS by making the infant stop from entering into sleep states that are very deep. Additionally, by means of parents' own breathing, infants may also remember to breathe (Mosko, 1996)

Better Sleep for both Parents and Infants:

Due to the closeness of the mother, babies don't get fully awake and cry to get a response. Also, mothers don't get fully awake to give a response due the presence of the baby in the same room or bed. As a result, mothers had more positive evaluations of their nighttime experiences (McKenna, 1994) since they were more likely to sleep better and wake less fully (McKenna & Mosko, 1997).

More Care Giving to Babies:

One of the biggest advantages of co sleeping is increase in breast feeding (McKenna, 1994; Richard et al., 1996). This is admitted even by the most conventional American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that co-sleeping has the most advantage of breast feeding. According to the research, mothers who co-sleep breast feed an average of twice as long as non-co-sleeping mothers. Moreover, the act of sucking in breast feeding increases oxygen flow, which is useful for both baby's growth and immune functions (McKenna, 1994).

In addition, co-sleeping infants also get more notice and protective care. The studies have shown that mothers who co-sleep provides five times the number of care like as adjusting the baby's blanket, stroking or cuddling as compared to those mothers who were non-co sleepers (Mosko, 1997).

Long-Term Benefits of Co- Sleeping in Children as adults

Higher self-esteem:

Those boys who co-slept with their parents during the time of their birth till five years of age had notably much higher self-esteem along as well as experienced less guilt and worry. At the same time, women, who co-slept during their childhood experienced less uneasiness about physical contact and affection as adults (Lewis & Janda, 1988). Thus, co-sleeping seems to encourage self-esteem, intimacy and confidence by reflecting an approach of parents' acceptance (Gordon, 2002).