Co-sleeping. Why?

[goodnessgraciousgouda]

Just to stress first off that this is not a thread to start a bun fight between people who do and don't co-sleep. It's not intended as a spiteful judgement of people who DO co-sleep.

It's just to try and understand why some people do it, as it's something that I literally cannot fathom.

I can understand co-sleeping for the first six months, as is recommended to prevent SID. I can understand people going a bit longer than that just to be on the safe side.

But why do some people co-sleep for YEARS on end? Is it when the child is a really bad sleeper generally? Or when there are underlying medical conditions?

Co-sleeping for long periods of time has always struck me as something which would completely override the relationship between the two parents. Which is why I'd be interested to know people's actual reasons for doing it (I'm not saying I'm right, it's just how I've always seen it).

I have tried looking at websites, but they have been so....unbearable. Almost like satire websites. I was hoping some people here might be able to explain it in less "hemp and kale" sort of terms.

Singsongsung where have you been looking?

Some stuff here.

www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/sleep-problems/sids-latest-research-how-sleeping-your-baby-safe

I co sleep with my 4yo, DH is in 'her' bed. I also have two older DSs with whom I didn't co sleep with.

She was a terrible sleeper and it just works for us, from day one it was just easier....and I was far more confident making the decision because she was number three. Quite frankly I had had enough of sleepless nights.

Neither co sleeping or using a cot will prevent sids. The only known preventing advice we have is not smoking and following safe sleeping guidance.

Have read that article Disappointed and still feel that it's more in favour of babies being in bedside sleepers than actually in your bed. I would be amazed if the fairly complex advice on how to co-sleep safely was followed by even half of the people who do it.

The NHS advises that you - "place your baby on their back to sleep, in a cot in the room with you". Seems reasonably advice to me to be honest.

Wotsits- "follow safe sleeping guidelines". Well the NHS guidelines are that your baby sleeps in a separate cot in your room until 6 months.

The NHS guidelines for type 2 diabetics is to eat plenty of complex carbs regularly. Recent research shows otherwise.

They're not generally fans of home birth. I could go on.

In our case we adapted the guidelines to work for us.

Disappointedone

Dr Sears is well known for mangling the science, I really wouldn't rely on him for information

There are theories that co sleeping has a protective value against SIDS, but no evidence. However lack of evidence doesn't always mean something is fale. In this case, largessale studies show that cot sleeping is safer, but we know that these studies lump together safe and very unsafe co sleeping. The rates of cot death are now thankfully so low that it is not possible to do any statistically significant studies, so you will never find any further evidence. The official guidelines will always be bound by this, which is a good thing, but also means that in this case they may be misleading as to what is actually safest. There have been small scale and comparative studies done but not on a large enough scale to be considered significant - like the dummy advice which was revoked 5 or so years ago.