Sleeping in the parents' bed beyond the infant stage
Co-sleeping or sleeping with the baby in the same bed is a practice that is surrounded by controversy. There are opinions for and against it but, what happens when children want to sleep in parents' beds beyond the infant stage? In Guiainfantil.com we deal with an issue that affects many parents: th
Co-sleeping or sleeping with the baby in the same bed is a practice that is surrounded by controversy. There are opinions for and against it but, what happens when children want to sleep in parents' beds beyond the infant stage?
In Guiainfantil.com we deal with an issue that affects many parents: the co-sleeping of children who are no longer babies and who want to sleep in their parents' bed every night.
Sleep in childhood
Sleeping well is essential to enjoy optimal performance during the day and a good quality of life. If a child has a shallow and interrupted sleep he will get up with the feeling of not having rested during the night, his mood will be affected, his performance will decrease and he will have drowsiness the next day.
Sleep the necessary hours of sleep and have a quality sleep has a positive impact on the development of the child. Therefore, it is important to favor all those conditions that allow children to sleep deeply and without interruptions during the night.
We must ensure that the child's room has a suitable temperature, that it is not noisy, that there are no lights on, that electronic devices (TV, computers, mobile phones, tablets ...) are turned off during the night and that the bed has of a comfortable mattress.
Sleeping in parents' bed or co-sleeping after the infant stage
Sleeping with children in the same bed is a good idea? DO NOT! This practice is known under the term "co-sleeping" and is not without controversy, since there are many people who are in favor and many others are positioned against.
Some professionals say that children from 3 months of age should sleep alone, others say they should stop sharing bed with parents after 6 months, others say that ideally after 3 years and others even say that only after 5 years is when the child should start sleeping in a bed other than their parents. Although the controversy remains in force, it seems that the professionals agree to affirm that a child must sleep alone before starting primary education, that is, at 5 or 6 years.Many parents sleep with their children so that they are not afraid during the night, to feel more secure or simply because since they were born they have acquired the habit of sleeping together in the same bed. However:
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This practice interferes with the quality of the child's sleep so it is not recommended. - N
or enhances the autonomy and independence of the childbut quite the opposite. As parents, we have an obligation to raise responsible, self-sufficient and independent children, and sleeping with our children makes it difficult for them to be. Pot - Power that children acquire fears and manifest a dependence behavior towards their parents. - If children sleep in bed with their parents it is possible that
their sleep is interrupted several times during the night
due to the movements that parents make in bed, snoring, coughing, heat, discomfort, etc. Beware, a superficial dream with continuous interruptions can lead to the child developing sleep problems such as insomnia. Why children should sleep in their bed We have to make sure they are autonomous
. Just as we teach you how to eat, how to tie your shoelaces or take care of your own body hygiene, it is very important to teach them to sleep alone without needing the accompaniment or protection of an adult.
Sleeping alone has a positive effect on your self-esteem. On the other hand, if the child is afraid we must teach him to face and manage his fears but not encourage him to avoid them by sleeping in our bed. We have to help them internalize the message of "I am able to sleep alone" and weaken the message of "I need my mom or I need my dad to be able to sleep".
Therefore, we must help our son to carry aadequate sleep hygiene
that allows him to have a quality sleep and enjoy a great rest during the night.
