Grand Central Station -The Family Bed

Co-sleeping is not for every family. Bedsize and number of family members are important factors! As already mentioned, if drugs or alcohol are being consumed, or prescription medicine that sedates or causes drowsiness, infants or small children should not be sharing the bed with parents. Some parents just do not feel comfortable sleeping with their children, and some feel that the bedroom and the master bed are a place for intimacy, not family gatherings. Three or more restless sleepers in one bed can amount to sleepless nights and a grouchy family. My daughter slept with us until she was about 7 months old. All of a sudden she started ramming us at night, swinging from side to side, head butting, and scooting up and down the bed. The night I had to pluck her from between the headboard and the mattress where she was stuck and grunting for the third time, was the night we decided it was time for the CRIB. And guess what? She slept peacefully, and so did we. To the issue of dependency (I always got the "when are you going to get her out of your bed" line), I think every child sleeps alone when they are ready, some later, some earlier. There is nothing as refreshing as opening your eyes to a beautiful little smile right in your face (they don't care about morning breath!) or waking up to little fingers poking in you eyes, nose and mouth!. Some nights my daughter sleeps with us, and on the weekends we all hang out in the bed and play, read, sleep, eat, etc. It's like our family room! This way children become secure sleeping on their own. They know they always have a safe, warm spot in the BIG BED if they need it.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic