Co-sleeping of parents with a newborn baby and baby: weighing the pros and cons. Co-sleeping with a newborn: what does Komarovsky advise? Co-sleeping with a child: how to do it right

Co-sleeping with a baby. We humans are so created that we spend almost a third of our lives sleeping. Scientists have been racking their brains for a long time, trying to uncover all the secrets of this condition.

Night sleep for a small child

Thanks to modern equipment, it was possible to penetrate into the deepest structures of the brain.

Experiments are carried out, bold hypotheses are put forward. You don’t have to be an academic to come to the conclusion: how well a person sleeps depends on his activity and mood. And a full night’s sleep for a child not only puts him in a great mood, but also makes his parents a little happier.

The baby sleeps, snoring sweetly, allowing mom to do urgent things or just relax. This is how many people imagine a harmonious relationship between mother and baby.

But not all families can boast of such an idyll. Often a baby’s sleep is sensitive, restless, and there is a desire to play at night.

Night sleep at 4 months

Only the feeling of hunger makes them wake up briefly. This is a feature of the nervous system at this age.

Everything changes quite quickly, by the age of one month the child makes attempts to take an interest in the surroundings, fixing his gaze on bright objects and faces. He willingly takes part in communication, and in response to his mother’s affectionate touches, the first charming smile appears. The period of wakefulness gradually increases.

It is important that it occurs during the daytime. By the age of six months, the baby is put to bed 2 or 3 times during the day, and during the breaks he plays for at least two to three hours. By the age of one year, only two naps a day remain.

Everyone needs rest at night: both parents and children. In the dark, the baby is supposed to sleep for at least 5-6 hours without a break.

Night sleep at 7 months

Children weighing more than 3.5 kg can easily withstand such an interval between feedings, but it is difficult for babies with insufficient body weight to skip a night meal, so their mothers should not strive for this. Parents should not forget that night is the diametric opposite of day, so communication with the baby during these hours should be structured somewhat differently.

In sunlight, you will chirp over your baby, do massages, stretches; at night, limit yourself to quickly changing diapers or diapers and feeding, try not to turn on bright lights. These precautions will help avoid a very common childhood problem when babies suddenly confuse day with night.

How to make your child's sleep as comfortable as possible? A newborn baby does not know how to roll over on its own; many mothers have probably seen that after a long sleep in one position, characteristic folds appear on the baby’s body. Sometimes you can still find families in which, on the advice of all-knowing grandmothers, they swaddle their children tightly, straightening their arms and legs along the string.

Parents sincerely believe that this is more comfortable for the child, and, thanks to this old method, their child will sleep soundly and his legs will be straight. Fortunately, modern pediatrics refutes these misconceptions.

Convenience is out of the question; the fetal position that the fetus took in the womb is much more familiar. Many babies desperately resist attempts to “tame” them and do not fall asleep until their hands miraculously end up on top of the diaper. And don’t try to argue with them, they feel more comfortable that way.

With hip dysplasia, tight swaddling can even harm babies. But there are very “shy” babies, as their parents characterize them. Doctors call this high neuro-reflex excitability.

In response to unexpected sounds, cold, touches, and sometimes for no apparent reason at all, the child shudders, waves his arms and wakes up. Such problem children will sleep more peacefully if they are wrapped more tightly.

Some mothers put hats on their little daughters and sons when putting them to bed. Sometimes it makes sense. Immature children and those born prematurely are afraid of hypothermia; they need a little more time to adapt to new living conditions. Therefore, a hat will not hurt such a baby, for example, after bathing, and during sleep there is no need to dress him up warmer than during wakefulness.

The child's body can easily tolerate room temperatures of 18-20 degrees. Some adults shudder at such thermometer readings, but at least they care. In houses with stove heating in winter it becomes colder in the morning, so you need to make sure that you always have a blanket at hand.

These days, the range of children's stores is rich. Modern mothers almost immediately after being discharged from the maternity hospital dress their children in rompers. Pants and blouses that are pleasant to baby’s delicate skin are an excellent replacement for old-fashioned diapers. It is worth mentioning separately about soft overalls-slips.

This is an interesting clothing model that allows you to significantly simplify the process of dressing and fits your baby flawlessly. The main disadvantages of undershirts and rompers are considered to be that the former often swing open, and the latter regularly slide down; when using a slip, such problems do not arise. In order for your baby to have a restful night's sleep, nothing should disturb him.

When choosing clothes specifically for this, at the expense of beauty and attractiveness, you need to give preference to products made from natural fabrics without unnecessary details: appliqués, large buttons, be sure to touch the seams to see if they are too rough.

It is very important to monitor the baby’s position in the crib. In a newborn, the bones of the skull are still quite soft and pliable; they are easily deformed if the baby lies mainly on the same side. The crib is often installed against the wall, and admiring a bare wall is a dubious pleasure.

Night sleep at 10 months

Very soon the child will grow up, will begin to fix his gaze on the objects he likes, and will understand from which side he should wait for his mother to appear. This may be great, but if the baby has health problems, such as muscular torticollis or a broken collarbone, the child's fixed position in the crib can significantly aggravate the existing problems.

Do you need bumpers and a canopy for a baby crib? Beautiful, prestigious, but not very functional. The canopy serves as a good dust collector and limits the flow of fresh air. The bumpers prevent the mother from seeing the baby, and in the first months of life, when the baby is not very active, they are not needed at all. A little later, after about four months, they will be able to protect him from accidental blows.

Beauty for children's furniture is also important, but we must strive for it, not forgetting common sense.

What is the best way to sleep for these tiny lumps: on the back, on the stomach or on the side? But their safety directly depends on this. Each position has its pros and cons. Lying on your stomach is useful when you are worried about flatulence, then the colic calms down and it becomes easier.

Of course, the mattress should not sag; soft pillows and bedding are unacceptable. There is a possibility that the baby's nose may be covered with lush feather beds. On the back, the child is as relaxed as possible.

But you should not leave the baby in this position without supervision after feeding. Children who have a tendency to regurgitate will be defenseless and will not be able to help themselves. The risk of choking in this situation is very high.

To be on the safe side, after feeding it is better to lay the baby on its side. Try not to leave your treasure without proper attention, and if night falls, then go to rest only in full confidence that the baby is safe.

Strictly follow the rule: in order to avoid trouble, never leave a bottle in the mouth of a sleepy child.

Pediatricians always warn young parents not to take their baby into their own bed.

Firstly, it does not meet hygiene requirements.

Secondly, mom or dad may not notice their first-born and crush him. No matter how light a woman’s sleep was before her birth, several sleepless nights will quickly make themselves felt.

The ideal solution is to move the baby crib close to the parent's, you can remove the side frame. Mom and baby will always feel each other.

A baby's night's sleep is a complete rest for him and for his mother. The ritual of putting him to bed should be thought out to the smallest detail, be light and pleasant, and bring satisfaction to the baby and his parents. And falling asleep does not always go smoothly.

I hope the information presented in this article will be useful to someone. Or maybe someone obeys their own rules for putting the kids to bed and is ready to bet?

Co-sleeping with a newborn is a topic of debate among pediatricians, lactation specialists and parents. Opponents of this approach say that it is dangerous and harmful to family relationships, while supporters argue that this is the only way young parents can get a good night’s sleep and get up less often at night. Who is right? How to properly organize co-sleeping with a newborn? What consequences could this lead to?

The trend of "close parenting"

Modern parenthood is no longer a closed area of ​​life, as it once was. Raising children is influenced by fashion trends, one of which is natural parenting. This involves a close relationship with the child, long-term breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and wearing a sling. As a result, a trusting relationship is formed between parents and child.

But not all specialists who deal with young children (neonatologists, lactation consultants, pediatricians and child psychologists) actively support the idea of ​​co-sleeping and feeding on demand. Some believe that this practice only benefits the growing baby, while others are of the opinion that a child whose intrauterine development period has long ended does not need constant tactile contact with his mother.

Co-sleeping and breastfeeding

In reviews of co-sleeping with a newborn, young mothers indicate that it is very convenient for those who are breastfeeding. The baby gets the opportunity to suck as much milk as he needs. The very idea of ​​on-demand feeding presupposes constant closeness between mother and baby. Therefore, co-sleeping is a natural extension of on-demand breastfeeding.

When is a restriction necessary?

What do pediatricians say about this? Many doctors do not support breastfeeding on demand. Sometimes a slight restriction in food only benefits the baby’s health and has a partially therapeutic role. This applies to infant colic, colds and some manifestations of diathesis. In such cases, the pediatrician recommends temporarily reducing the amount of food to allow the body to cope with the problem on its own.

In hot and stuffy climates, it is also advisable to slightly limit breastfeeding. To prevent pathological fluid loss, you need to supplement your child's drinking with regular water. When thirsty and uncontrolled access to the breast, the baby will eat more than necessary, and this can lead to pain, anxiety, digestive problems and skin rashes.

Stimulation of milk production

It is believed that frequent breast stimulation and (especially) night feedings help establish long-term lactation. This is absolutely fair, but it is really necessary to stimulate lactation only in the first few days after birth and during the period of so-called crises, when, due to sudden growth spurts, the child no longer has enough milk produced by the mother. Judging by the reviews and the opinion of doctors, the rest of the time there is no need to additionally stimulate the breasts.

Moreover, if the child is constantly near his mother, at night he does not so much eat as he smacks his lips, falling asleep and waking up at the breast. The body produces more milk, the excess begins to stagnate, and if the mother does not pump regularly, lactation mastitis may occur. For this reason, pediatricians recommend feeding babies only once a night.

Psychological aspect of co-sleeping

The question of how to properly organize co-sleeping with a newborn is often asked by parents of restless children who sleep poorly. If your baby sleeps in the same bed as mom and dad, he will feel a sense of security, warmth and protection, but close contact is usually not necessary throughout the night. Various rocking techniques that involve tactile contact help to cope with the problem of falling asleep.

When the baby’s prenatal period of development ends, he begins his journey as a separate, independent person. The child still needs maternal love, affection and care, but this closeness is less “physical” in nature than during pregnancy, but more communicative. The baby increasingly receives care, support and warmth from communication with loved ones.

To show love, by the way, there is not only night sleep, which parents themselves desperately need, but also daytime sleep. To give your child a feeling of protection, comfort and care, you need to communicate with him during the day, engage in educational games, and relax together during “quiet hours.” Judging by the reviews of many parents, sleeping together at night is not at all necessary in this case.

Inability to get proper rest

Co-sleeping with a newborn often does not give the parents the opportunity to fully rest and sleep. At the same time, in the first months of a child’s life, he should not be left in a separate room. You need to be nearby even if you have a video or baby monitor. Until 4-5 months, it is imperative to feed the baby at least once a night, monitor his well-being and check his posture.

The intimate life of young parents

Opponents of sleeping together with a newborn point out the impossibility of a normal intimate life if the whole family sleeps in the same bed. But the birth of a baby one way or another brings changes to the personal life of the spouses. If you want to maintain intimacy and improve sleep together, you can find a way out: engage in carnal pleasures not in bed, but in the kitchen or elsewhere in the apartment.

In any case, it is important to know that psychologists consider intimacy with a newborn to be absolutely safe. Only after one and a half years, you need to ensure that the child does not accidentally witness sex between parents. This can cause psychological trauma because the child may consider what he saw to be aggression or cruelty.

Childhood nightmare syndrome

Child psychologists confirm the fact that children who sleep in a separate crib from birth wean themselves much faster from night feedings, go to bed easier at an older age and are less likely to experience nightmare syndrome. But co-sleeping with a newborn is not hopeless. Sooner or later (more likely, late) the child will learn to fall asleep separately, and the problem of nightmares is solved quite simply by modern psychologists.

Optimal sleep option

Co-sleeping with a newborn is optimal from birth until approximately 4-5 months. At this time, it is better for the baby to sleep next to his parents, but in a separate crib next to him. This is very convenient for a mother who needs to feed her baby several times a night, change her clothes, pick her up and calm her down. Such co-sleeping takes into account both the needs of the children and the interests of the parents.

After 4-5 months, the baby can sleep in a separate crib, which can be placed either in the parent’s bedroom or in the next room. In the latter case, you definitely need a video or baby monitor. At four months, a baby can gradually wean itself off night feedings, and sound sleep throughout the night is often more beneficial than additional breastfeeding. Refusal of night feeding will not affect the baby's health in any way. Pediatricians say that babies who stopped feeding at night at 4-5 months did not suffer from underweight in the future.

The one-year-old baby is completely ready to “move” to the children’s (separate) room. At the same time, during the daytime, mom, dad or another relative can lie down, doze with the baby, or simply stay nearby as much as they want. Only co-sleeping with a newborn is subject to doubts about the advisability, because parents really need good rest.

Organizing co-sleeping with your child

How to organize co-sleeping with a newborn? Some parents simply put the child in bed with them, others simply move the crib closer and lower one side. Some people find it more convenient to move the baby to themselves after the first feeding at night, and leave them to sleep in the crib during the day and evening. Any option is suitable, you need to focus only on the desires and convenience of the parents, as well as the needs of the child.

How to organize correctly To make this approach possible, both parents should not smoke, drugs, alcohol, psychotropic and hypnotic drugs, and strong medications are also prohibited. Co-sleeping with a newborn can be dangerous if either parent is sick or feels very tired.

The baby must also be healthy and full-term. You should not swaddle your baby, light pajamas are enough, because the body temperature will increase from the warmth of the mother. The optimal air temperature in the room should be +22 degrees for a newborn or +18...+20 for children starting from the age of six months. Suitable humidity is 50-60%. The room needs to be ventilated regularly, but constant drafts are unacceptable.

There is no place for pets in the bed where a child sleeps. In addition, parents are not advised to use cosmetics and perfumes with a strong odor, which can make it difficult for the baby to sleep. You should not leave your baby alone in an adult bed, put him to bed with older children, or try co-sleeping if the parents are obese. In this case, safe co-sleeping with a newborn is questionable.

Requirements for a parent's bed

If you decide to co-sleep with your newborn, how to organize everything correctly? It is necessary to take into account the requirements for the bed in which the infant will sleep with the parents. The mattress should be firm because uneven surfaces pose a risk of suffocation. The bed should accommodate both adults and baby comfortably. A baby needs 60-70 cm, about the same for every adult.

Bed linen should be changed regularly. The baby doesn't need a pillow, but the mother's should be safe. It is best to choose latex, with buckwheat fillers, or “memory” material. It is worth giving up thick bedding and heavy blankets. Cotton fabrics are preferable. Parents' pillows should be placed as far as possible from the child's face, and there should be no unnecessary objects in the bed (decorative pillows, soft toys) at all.

Some kind of barrier needs to be installed on the child’s side. You can move the parent's bed close to the wall or buy a special border. The child should not be able to fall out of bed in his sleep. This is the only way to be safe when co-sleeping with a newborn.

Safe positions for co-sleeping

Photos of sleeping together with a newborn are touching, but as soon as a child appears in the family, it turns out that this approach requires practice. It can take anywhere from two weeks to two months to get used to having a small child around. If the baby is not the first, then this will happen faster, because for a mother with many children, sleeping together usually does not pose a problem at all.

A safe position for sleeping together with a newborn when feeding is as follows: the mother lies half-sided (on her shoulder blade), the baby’s head is slightly tilted so that the nose does not stick into the chest. After feeding, the baby can be placed on its side or back, and the mother can sleep in a position that is comfortable for her.

Sleeping with a child and pregnancy are compatible, but you need to consider how comfortable the family bed is for this. If there are concerns that the elder may accidentally push the mother in the stomach at night, then it is better to transfer the child to sleep at night in a separate crib.

Authoritative opinion: Dr. Komarovsky

Many young parents are guided in many issues related to raising children by the opinion of the famous pediatrician and TV presenter Evgeniy Komarovsky. He also spoke out about co-sleeping with a newborn. Komarovsky believes that there is not and cannot be an unambiguous answer to this question. Each family determines its sleep system individually.

If it is more convenient for mom to sleep together with her baby, and dad is really happy with this, then there is nothing wrong with this approach. In this case, certain conditions must be observed: parents must control themselves so as not to accidentally harm the child, the bed must meet certain requirements (hard mattress, protection against falls), parents (both) must be satisfied with this regime.

11 Feb 2016

Pros and cons of co-sleeping with a newborn

With the arrival of their first child in the family, young parents have many questions. Baby's sleep. One of the main and controversial topics is the issue of sharing a baby’s sleep with their parents. On the one hand, we are under pressure from our grandparents, who raised us during the Soviet era, when children were “supposed” to sleep separately. On the other hand, the recommendations of world-famous neonatologists, child psychologists and breastfeeding specialists say the opposite. In their opinion, co-sleeping is beneficial for the mother and necessary for the newborn. There are many theories about the possible development of phobias and fears in children whose parents did not take them into their bed. In this article we will look at the most pressing issues and help every parent make the right decision.

So, every young mother, during pregnancy, arranges her future child’s nursery, buys the most beautiful crib, and carefully chooses a mattress and bed linen. Dad carefully hangs up the night light and buys rattles for the baby. And so the happy parents return from the maternity hospital with a tiny bundle in their hands... and at night the mother begins to jump from the cries of the newborn, and the father has to go to work in the morning. An adult can survive in this mode for about two weeks. Then his performance decreases, lack of sleep and fatigue accumulate, and irritation appears, which sooner or later will result in a scandal. Don't let it come to this. Make a decision specifically for your family, guided by simple rules:

Simple rules

1. Discard the advice of relatives and friends. Remember the saying: “Every hut has its own rattles”? Don't be like others. Forget the phrases: “that’s how it’s supposed to be,” “we raised you differently,” “that’s what the doctor said.” No one can know better than you how you should live. Decide together how comfortable it would be for you to sleep at night.
2. Each family member has the right to a good rest at night. If your baby wakes up 10 times a night, it's not wise to have an all-night marathon in the nursery. Place a crib next to your bed, or place your baby nearby. If you are breastfeeding, co-sleeping with your baby is doubly convenient - your baby will receive breast milk unhindered, and you will be able to get a good night's sleep.
3. Consider dad's wishes. For example, many young fathers are happy to help their wives at night, and with the same pleasure sleep in the same bed with their child. But in the morning dad has to work, so if he doesn’t get enough sleep, it’s worth deciding on the issue of dad temporarily moving to another room. Men should not be offended by this method. The young wife will “finish” her hours during the day with the child, and you need to provide for your family. Remember, a child needs happy and healthy parents. Sleepless nights do not add to your health, so sleep in such a way that you get as much rest as possible at night.
4. The child has the right to receive as much breast milk as he needs. Consider your baby's character and appetite. There are calm children from birth who eat 2-3 times a night. If your baby doesn't cry every hour, you can leave him to sleep in his bassinet.

The following tips apply only to infants - from the first day to one year. At this age, the baby does not yet know how to manipulate his parents, so only his physiological needs are taken into account and nothing more.

Arguments in favor of co-sleeping of a newborn baby with its parents

1.The most significant “pro”- this means that the mother will not have to jump around the child half the night. It is much more convenient to simply turn to the child than to get up, pick him up, feed him, rock him to sleep, and go back to sleep. Most newborns sleep well only during the first week of life. Then problems begin with colic in the stomach, establishing a diet, and teething. Such processes can take several months.
2. Everyone knows the benefits of breast milk. The hormone prolactin, which is responsible for its quantity, is produced mainly at night, so breastfeeding at night stimulates lactation.
3. There is never too much love. For a baby, mother is the whole world. You were inseparable for 9 months. The baby felt calm and warm in the mother’s belly. And now he finds himself in an aggressive new environment, where he is completely alone. The only connection you have with your mother is her warm breast milk and tender hugs. The connection between a child and his mother is truly cosmic. Loneliness is stressful for a defenseless baby, so in the first months of life, sleeping together is very justified.
4. It has been proven that babies who sleep under the warm side of their mothers are much less likely to suffer from colic. Heat relaxes the abdominal muscles, gases pass faster and easier. Remember the advice of grandmothers - if there is colic, you need to put a warm diaper on the baby’s stomach. Why artificially heat the fabric when you can just put the baby on your stomach?
5. If we turn to history, for centuries the co-sleeping of a parent with her child was not even discussed. Mom is warmth, food, drink, protection and peace at the same time.
6. When you sleep together, your biorhythms with your child will begin to coincide. Having woken up and seen you sleeping next to you, the child will most likely calm down and fall asleep again. This way you will get an extra half hour of sleep. A child sleeping alone in his crib will in any case cry in search of his mother, which means he will wake everyone up.

Arguments against co-sleeping

1. Fear. Inexperienced parents are afraid of crushing their child in his sleep. This is especially true for dads. However, no such case has yet been recorded. Indeed, there is a so-called sudden infant death syndrome, but this has nothing to do with co-sleeping.

Maternal instinct is an inexplicable thing. A normal mother would never harm her child, even in her sleep.

1. Lack of normal sex life between parents. Of course, this issue should be resolved in pairs. Having become parents, you did not cease to be husband and wife, but no one relieved you of responsibility for your child. You can find another place (or time) to have sex. If the lack of sexual activity causes discomfort, then the idea of ​​sleeping together is not suitable for you.

If you decide to sleep with your child, you need to take care of his safety:

1. The bed mattress should be hard. A child under 3 months of age cannot yet roll over and raise his head on his own, so he may simply suffocate on a soft mattress.
2. Remove excess pillows and warm blankets. There is no need for a child to overheat. The optimal temperature in a room with a newborn is 16-20°C. A light blanket is enough for the baby.
3. Don't let your baby sleep on the pillow. It can roll down and suffocate in the soft folds.
4. Check the gaps between the wall and the bed, between the mattresses if the bed is double. The child may get stuck in them while sleeping.
5. No water or air mattresses. They are too soft and dangerous for newborns.
6. If you have older children, do not let them sleep next to the baby. Children do not control themselves in their sleep and can crush the baby. If you all sleep together, lie down between the children.
7. Never lie down next to a baby if you or your spouse:

very tired, literally falling off your feet (there is a risk of simply crushing the baby);
are intoxicated;
took sedative or psychotropic medications.
1. If your baby was born premature, it is better not to practice co-sleeping for the first few months. Wait until your baby gains weight.

Looking for a middle ground

If you find it difficult to decide, there is an approximate scheme that takes into account the interests of both parents and children.

1. From the moment of birth until six months, the child really needs maternal warmth. This is the best time to sleep together. If you are afraid of crushing him, remove the bars on the crib and move it next to your bed. This way, the space will expand, and the child will be in close proximity to you.

This method has a number of advantages:

will help to establish lactation;
will allow mother to rest more;
will provide the child with a sense of security and peace of mind;
will serve as a good prevention of colic.
1. After six months, the baby no longer needs to be fed 5-6 times a night. If your family faces the urgent issue of moving a child to a separate bed or room, this can be done. Maintain tactile contact during the day - play with the child, cuddle, lie with him, take a nap. Basically, spend as much time with him as you want during the daytime.
2. After a year, the baby can be moved to a separate room with peace of mind. Or you can leave it in your bed if you and your husband like it.

Modern pediatrics and neonatology have not reached a unanimous opinion regarding the co-sleeping of a child with his parents. There is no concrete evidence that co-sleeping has a positive or negative effect on a child’s future. No patterns in the behavior or life scenario of children sleeping with their parents or separately from them have been identified. All information flowing from the media is just the opinions of experts.

Phobias, fears, lack of independence and selfish tendencies can only indicate improper upbringing. Sleeping together or separately has nothing to do with this.

The main principle when deciding whether to sleep together is that mom and dad should be comfortable. Being parents is hard, shared work. Resting at night in their bed is the only place where they can regain their strength. Voluntarily depriving yourself of the right to normal rest is unreasonable, so listen to yourself and try to understand your child. Time flies very quickly. In a few years, the moment will come when your child will voluntarily refuse your company at night. Remember that a child, first of all, needs loving and cheerful parents.

If previously the child slept separately from his parents, now the thesis about the benefits of such sleep is disputed by both psychologists and pediatricians. Tradition is being replaced by co-sleeping, which allows for the best psychological conditions for the baby. Its benefits have been confirmed by many doctors.

For example, the famous pediatrician William Sears conducted an experiment on the safety of a newborn's separate sleep. It turned out that without parents, the baby’s breathing and heartbeat problems increase.

Now let's look at this in more detail.

Pros and cons of co-sleeping with a newborn

Co-sleeping is a little-studied phenomenon for most parents. This raises many questions: is it safe? What exactly does SS provide?

Real advantages

Let's look at the benefits of sleeping with a parent:

Sleeping together brings peace of mind not only to the child, but also to the mother. Such close contact with the child allows you to constantly “feel” him, not be nervous, and eliminate unnecessary worries.

Sleeping together brings peace of mind not only to the child, but also to the mother.

Conditional disadvantages

Opponents of co-sleeping have their own arguments:

The disadvantages of SS are, as a rule, not facts, but lack of awareness.

In order to accurately resolve the issue of sleep organization, you need to study all the information about it. This way, parents will feel more confident and will not doubt the safety of the baby.

Proper organization of co-sleeping

All the disadvantages of SS can be reduced by properly organizing sleep. To do this, you need to follow the recommendations:

• Parents are prohibited from taking alcohol, sleeping pills, and various psychotropic medications;
• The baby should be placed separately if the parents are sick;
• The baby should be full-term and not weakened;
• Swaddling or wrapping a child in blankets is not recommended. All this can cause overheating. The best option is light pajamas;
• The temperature in the room for newborns is 22 degrees, for babies who have reached six months – 18-20 degrees;
• Humidity levels should be maintained. They should be 50-60%;
• It is not recommended to use cosmetics with fragrances or perfumes;
• A child should not sleep in the same bed with pets.

Proper organization of sleep allows you to neutralize all possible dangers.

The parent's bed must meet certain requirements:

• A hard mattress with a flat surface to prevent breathing problems in infants;
• Wide bed for comfortable accommodation;
• Regular change of bed linen. It is better if it is cotton, breathable;
• For safety, mother should not wear clothes made of artificial fabrics or with long ties at night;
• A fence needs to be placed on the child's side. For example, you can simply move a crib next to your parents' bed.

Proper organization of sleep allows you to neutralize all possible dangers. It is also important for ensuring the comfort of parents.

How to start correctly, as well as common mistakes of young parents in our article.
How long does a 1 month old newborn baby sleep? This information will help adults organize their day correctly.

Psychoanalyst's opinion about SS

Leading psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott says that without contact with the mother, the baby goes through a terrible experience that can harm its development. The child does not know when contact will be resumed and whether it will happen, which gives rise to severe anxiety and creates a feeling of loneliness.

The newborn is inseparable from the mother, and therefore co-sleeping is an inevitable consequence of this indissolubility.

The baby's sleep is superficial. During it, he feels the presence of his mother, which affects the quality of rest. SS reduces all these risks. Both baby and mother will not feel stressed.

When sleeping separately, the baby often falls into deep sleep to protect itself from stress, which can be dangerous. If there is a change in breathing, cold or overheating, the baby will not call for help.

In this video, a mother shares her experience of co-sleeping with her baby:

Sleeping together has a whole range of beneficial effects. It allows the baby to feel safe and protects against stress. The mother will be able to quickly respond to all the needs of the newborn. SS promotes proper mental development. However, it also requires competent organization. Parents need to take care of both the bed and bedding made from safe materials.

Most mothers of newborn babies practice co-sleeping with their babies. Undoubtedly, this has its advantages. At least the mother herself sleeps much more peacefully, since she does not have to constantly get up to see how the newborn baby feels in a separate crib. Meanwhile, not everyone thinks: is it safe for an infant to sleep together with parents?

How can a mother harm her newborn baby?

Proponents of separate sleeping argue that parents in their sleep can cause significant harm to their newborn child, namely:

• Any parent is capable of crushing the newborn baby with their body, which can lead not only to serious injury to the child, but also to suffocation.
• The mother of a newborn baby, having fallen asleep during night feeding, can crush the baby with her breast, blocking his breathing, and the child will suffocate.
• If the parents themselves sleep rather restlessly, they may accidentally hit the child, causing him any injury, even breaking his limbs.
• If the mother is sick, she can infect the child.

In fact, there are very few cases of a mother harming her newborn baby. On the contrary, during pregnancy and while caring for an infant, all a woman’s instincts become more acute. She sleeps more sensitively, hearing every extraneous sound, and even more so the sounds of her child. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about men. Therefore, co-sleeping between a baby and his father can really be dangerous. But if it is nevertheless decided that the newborn baby will sleep with both parents, then let the mother sleep in the middle, protecting the baby from the occasional awkward movements of the father. As for hygiene, parents need to monitor the cleanliness of bed linen and their personal hygiene. Then there will be no problems!

There are, of course, more advantages to sleeping together between an infant and parents than the disadvantages:

• It is easier for a mother to breastfeed her baby, since she does not have to get out of bed several times a night. Almost all babies ask for the breast at least two or three times during the night. But here too, mom needs to be very careful. You should not sleep while feeding, so as not to inadvertently crush the baby. If the mother is very tired and does not get enough sleep, then even at night the baby should be fed in a sitting position. Or you can ask your husband to look after the sleeping mother and baby while the baby nurses.
• The mother constantly hears the breathing of her baby, even in her sleep, which means she will be able to respond in time to any concern of the child.
• The mother sleeping next to her will cover the baby if it is cold or, on the contrary, will reveal it if he is hot.
• The mother who is nearby will not allow the child to bury his face in the pillow.
• The child always feels the mother's condition. If mom doesn’t have to constantly twitch and run to the crib at night, her sleep will be more restful. This means that the baby will sleep sounder and longer. Then both the child and the mother will get enough sleep. And a well-slept and rested mother will have more strength to work with her child during the daytime.

What needs to be taken care of?

It is important that the child is always safe. There are some points to consider if it is decided that the newborn baby will sleep with the parents:

• Both parents must be absolutely healthy so as not to infect their child with anything. This is one of the main requirements for parents who decide to practice co-sleeping. It is unacceptable to sleep with a baby in the same bed if one of the parents is sick with ARVI, influenza, or various skin diseases.
• You cannot take your baby to bed with you if one of the parents has consumed alcohol. In this state, significant harm can easily be caused to the child during sleep. The same goes for sedatives and sleeping pills.
• The bed on which the newborn baby will sleep must be fairly firm and level. The baby does not need to lay a soft feather bed and place a pillow under his head. This will negatively affect the baby’s health – it can lead to curvature of the spine. A baby in a diaper will sleep well even without a pillow.
• You cannot place the bed near a window if there is a draft from it - the child can easily catch a cold.
• There is no need to wrap your baby too much to prevent him from overheating. Especially if the baby sleeps under the same blanket with his parents, because it is not only the blanket that warms him, but also the bodies of the parents.
• You should not place your child on the edge of the bed, as he may fall. The safest option is against the wall or in the center of the bed. If the bed is against the wall and a gap has formed between the wall and the bed, you should cover it with a soft cloth or blanket so that the baby does not fall there.
• Pediatricians assure that an infant should sleep only on his back or side. Because on the stomach, a child can suffocate, burying himself in a pillow. It is still better for the newborn baby to sleep on his side. The fact is that when consuming breast milk, babies often spit up, and lying on their back, the baby can choke.
• During teething, and also if the baby is sick, he simply needs to sleep with the material. The more often a nursing mother puts the baby to the breast, the faster he will recover.

At first glance, it may seem that co-sleeping with an infant may interfere with the closeness between parents. In fact, only the deteriorating state of the mother’s health (for example, the consequences of a difficult birth) can interfere with intimacy between spouses. Lack of sleep and fatigue of the nursing mother play a significant role. As a rule, a woman needs some time to recover after childbirth. In this case, a man just needs to understand his soulmate and wait a little.

Some inexperienced parents fear that having taught their baby to sleep with them, it will be very difficult to wean the child off. But even here you should look at things sensibly. The child needs to constantly feel the presence of his parents, especially his mother. Next to the mother, the baby feels protected, which means the baby’s sleep will be stronger and longer. And when the baby grows up, he will need to gradually be taught to sleep in his own bed (in the same room with his parents for now), and then in his own room. If the child receives the proper amount of parental attention during the day, then at night he will be able to sleep separately from his parents without any problems.

Properly organized co-sleeping only has a positive effect on the child’s condition and does not cause inconvenience to parents. At the same time, if a newborn baby sleeps soundly and calmly on his own, in his crib or stroller, then you should not accustom him to sleeping together. The best option is a lightweight baby cot that can be moved to the parents’ bed. This will allow the mother to sleep in her own bed with her hand on the baby or lightly hugging him. Thus, she will be able to respond in a timely manner to all the needs of the baby - to cover him if he has opened up, give breastfeeding on demand, or give him something to drink from a bottle.

Thus, if the parents of a newborn baby are healthy and the baby’s mother sleeps quite lightly, then sleeping together will not harm the child. Moreover, the longer the baby sleeps next to his mother, the longer the lactation period will be, since the baby suckles at the breast very often at night. This means that the baby’s immunity will be stronger, and the child will be less susceptible to various diseases!

Who should a child sleep with - Doctor Komarovsky (video)