Co-sleeping is one of the most debated issues in recent years. Many medical experts show their concerns regarding the negative effects of co-sleeping, whereas many mothers and others have a different opinion about it based on emotional attachments. Ultimately, it is proved that there are pros and cons of co-sleeping with your family members especially with a child.
The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that parents should never sleep with their babies in the bed owing to some risks to the baby’s health. According to medical reports, many infants die due to suffocation in bed.
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Pros and Cons of Co-Sleeping
Further investigations on this issue show that co-sleeping is quite prevalent in many families and has many benefits and encourages more attachment and love in families. Co-sleeping has many pros and cons. If we look into the matter, there are many benefits of co sleeping but the negatives of co sleeping cannot be neglected in the process.
Benefits of Co Sleeping
1. Emotional Attachments
Co-sleeping enhances the emotional attachment of the parents with the child. Mothers want to stay close to their child after he or she is born. They like to admire their baby sleeping peacefully beside them and prefer to stay within the proximity to their child.
2. Intensive Care
Once you stay a whole day and night with your child, you can take more care of your child. You are always in proximity to the baby to respond quickly if the babyfaces any problem. It also keeps the mother relieved as every now and then, she does not need to run to the child’s cradle and look if he or she is alright. Nursing and nourishing your baby becomes easier and your child stays in front of your eyes.
3. Safety and security
The baby feels more safe and calm when sleeping beside the parents. Moreover, the safety and security of the baby are not compromised.
4. Promotes Breast Feeding
One of the benefits of co sleeping is that it makes breastfeeding easier and it also helps the mother to take more rest.
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Negatives of Co Sleeping
1. Risks to child health
It is believed that co-sleeping increases the risk of an infant’s health. According to AAP, co-sleeping sometimes leads to suffocation and shortness of breath in the baby and has led to sudden child deaths in sleep.
2. No proven advantage
One of the negatives of co sleeping is that, there is no proper evidence that entails the benefits of co sleeping. Whereas the negative consequences of co-sleeping are prevalent.
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Conclusion
The pros and cons of co-sleeping are many but they do not give clarity on whether co-sleeping should be encouraged or abandoned. If it has a negative side to it, there are some positive aspects also.
Therefore, co-sleeping can be practiced by taking some precautions, for example, you should not sleep with your baby if you have taken alcohol or some other drugs, don’t sleep on soft or puffy beddings and make a little space between you and your child.
Taking all these measures will maintain your emotional bond and wishes to lay beside your child and will also not compromise with the health or safety of your child.
