Article
Let’s separate the facts from the myths about co-sleeping.
Co-sleeping with your baby
Attachment parenting promotes co-sleeping with your baby as a method to enhance attachment and bonding. This is such a difficult subject, so let’s look at the evidence:
- There is no evidence that babies who co-sleep are better adjusted or bonded to their parents.
- There is evidence that babies who co-sleep with their mothers are more likely to breastfeed and for a longer period.
- There is evidence that co-sleeping with unsafe practices increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Unsafe practices being – baby under the bed covers, parents drinking alcohol prior to sleep, co-sleeping on a couch. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a firm recommendation to not co-sleep, citing this and the Back to Sleep campaign as two important parts to decreasing SIDS.
This leaves the decision open to you. Essentially, if you do choose to co-sleep – do so safely and don’t prioritize it thinking it enhances emotional foundations.
