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CinnamonGirl · 11-01-2010, 01:22 PM

I recently came across this article about "sleep sharing." (note: it starts out sounding like an ad, but then goes into personal experiences that make for an interesting read.)

The basic idea is this: we've all been told that babies & kids should be in their own room, in their own bed, as soon as possible. Horror stories about letting a child share your bed and then being unable to sleep alone (and thus disrupting the sleep of the parents) abound. However...in the doctor's personal experience (and apparently, others' as well), mother and baby sleeping next to each other had positive effects on both. The babies were less likely to experience sleep apnea (the article mentions the mother's breath on the baby's face acts as sort of a "pacemaker"), and the mothers were more attuned to their child and could just reach over to caress the baby back to sleep, or move seamlessly into nursing, then back to sleeping.

Do any of you have experience with this? I'm pretty sure I didn't sleep NEXT to my mother as a baby, but I know (or at least, I was told, and I saw her do the same later with my brother) she kept me in a bassinet right next to the bed for the first few months-- within easy reach, but not breathing distance. I couldn't really tell you how it affected my sleep, although now I want to ask her.

I'm not pregnant, and not planning on being so anytime soon...but this fascinates me. I'm a deep sleeper, though, and I think I'd be terrified of rolling over on the baby (but maybe my sleep patterns would change instinctively?) Those of you with kids, how did you handle sleeping arrangements? Those of you who aren't, is this something you'd do? How were things when you were a baby?

11-01-2010, 01:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
CinnamonGirl She's Actual Size Location: Central Republic of Where-in-the-Hell	Co-sleeping with your baby: do you? did you? would you? I recently came across this article about "sleep sharing." (note: it starts out sounding like an ad, but then goes into personal experiences that make for an interesting read.) The basic idea is this: we've all been told that babies & kids should be in their own room, in their own bed, as soon as possible. Horror stories about letting a child share your bed and then being unable to sleep alone (and thus disrupting the sleep of the parents) abound. However...in the doctor's personal experience (and apparently, others' as well), mother and baby sleeping next to each other had positive effects on both. The babies were less likely to experience sleep apnea (the article mentions the mother's breath on the baby's face acts as sort of a "pacemaker"), and the mothers were more attuned to their child and could just reach over to caress the baby back to sleep, or move seamlessly into nursing, then back to sleeping. Do any of you have experience with this? I'm pretty sure I didn't sleep NEXT to my mother as a baby, but I know (or at least, I was told, and I saw her do the same later with my brother) she kept me in a bassinet right next to the bed for the first few months-- within easy reach, but not breathing distance. I couldn't really tell you how it affected my sleep, although now I want to ask her. I'm not pregnant, and not planning on being so anytime soon...but this fascinates me. I'm a deep sleeper, though, and I think I'd be terrified of rolling over on the baby (but maybe my sleep patterns would change instinctively?) Those of you with kids, how did you handle sleeping arrangements? Those of you who aren't, is this something you'd do? How were things when you were a baby? __________________ "...for though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world." "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"