Babies need to sleep well so that they can continue to grow strong and healthy. And nothing warms up a mother more than seeing her child asleep in her arms or the baby’s crib. Isn’t your child a little angel? Is my baby dreaming? Wait, what do babies dream about? All in all, parents just want to see their baby dozing off to dreamland. The problem is WHERE.
Most mothers want their children near them, and that is pretty understandable. It’s not so surprising at all when parents wanted their kid on their bed so that they can better watch out for their little munchkin. The solution is a co-sleeper. But what’s the best co-sleeper there is in the market and should you try co-sleeping with your baby?
What are the advantages of co-sleeping?
Co-sleeping is one of those controversial topics many parents have. It actually depends upon the families and what works with them. Here, you’ll find what the benefits of co-sleeping with your baby are.
Easy breastfeeding
Co-sleeping with your baby means you can quickly reach him within arm’s length. So, if your kid starts bawling in the evening for his midnight food, you can just turn to your side, lower the co sleeper’s net and feed your baby. It’s pretty exhausting to get up five times in one night and have your child breastfed properly.
Baby is a lot comfier and safer when you’re around
Your child might stop squirming and would be sleeping a lot more snuggly when he’s with you. It would reduce his crying and anxiety and tend to squirm a little lesser. Once the child feels the presence of his parents, he would calm down and doze off to dreamland.
Syncing of sleeping patterns
When a mother and her child sleep together on the same bed, they unconsciously sync their sleeping patterns with each other. In a way, a mother can be alerted when there’s something wrong with her child, like say, the baby stops breathing or would wake up automatically at the same time when her baby gets hungry. Science also claims that a breathy exchange a mother and her child has is packed with healthy benefits.
A goodnight’s sleep for mom
Mothers who have their child on their sides tend to sleep better than mothers who still get up and cater to their child’s needs. Once more, it proves to be a lot easier for mothers to breastfeed their child and hush them once more to dreamland.
Improves parent and child bonding
Having your child near you? It’ll further develop your relationship with each other for the better. Parents who leave their kids at home to work fix this by co-sleeping with their children. And as for the babies, skin to skin contact with the parent jacks up their growth especially on hypoglycemia, and brain development. Premature babies get to benefit the most when they are swaddled and wrapped in their mothers’ arms. But you need to stop at some point and ask something like “when to stop swaddling my child?”
What are the disadvantages of co-sleeping?
No matter what people may say about the co-sleepers, some parents are against the thought of sleeping together with your child.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Some parents argue that co-sleeping with your child will increase the chance of SIDS. Babies will suffocate and might fall on their co-sleepers or bassinets if they crawl a lot. Also, sudden, jerky movements of parents or simply snoring will wake the child up. That’s why it’s believed to let the baby sleep alone in peace.
Babies do overheat
Children who snuggle up close to their parents might risk overheating their bodies. Broods at this stage must rest at an even temperature to cool off their bodies.
Difficult to train your kid to transition on his own bed
Your child will love the feeling of sleeping next to you that you can’t persuade him to sleep in his own bed. You need to eventually train your child how to feel and act when you’re just even a… door away.
A squirming kid will annoy you
If your child throws a tantrum on a bed and you just want to sleep. No. You can’t handle that. It’s advisable to co-sleep with your baby starting from four months old and up to when you think he’s ready to transfer to his own room.
Spoil the relationship with your husband
Sorry, we know you and your hubby needs a private time, but it will be hard to do once the baby is separating the two of you in bed.
There’s no definite answer to whether which is which, but co-sleeping with your child highly depends upon the environment the parents and their child are in.
How to help baby to co-sleep better
We’ve discussed co-sleeping, its benefits and how it would be dangerous to your baby. Now, we’ll tell you how to help baby to co-sleeping with you quite peacefully. Are you ready? How can you make your kid sleep better?
Whether you want your kid to co-sleep next to you or not, here are tips to make him sleep all the better.
- Keep a strict timeframe when your baby has to sleep
- Parents or even just the mother has to sleep with the baby when he’s also asleep
- Prepare a warm bed for your child – not hot
- You need to have a firm mattress that’s not too soft or saggy. That might increase the chance of SIDS
- Forget additional blankets or stuffed toys. They might suffocate your kid
- Calm your child down with a couple of massages and warm baths
- Try paced bottle feeding your child for him to sleep. A warm milk over a narrow milk nipple won’t stress the baby and would help him doze off to slumberland.
- Get him a pacifier.
- Never leave your kid alone on the bed.
Baby’s nighttime with mommy and daddy
Sleep is crucial for babies. His environment in the bedroom is significant to his growth and development. Whether the parent wanted to co-sleep with her child, they must first and foremost uncover their baby’s sleeping patterns and needs before making a decision of co-sleeping.
What do you think?