by Summer Tierno

Created on: October 28, 2009   Last Updated: October 29, 2009

"I love this baby more than life itself." That was all I could think about when I looked into my newborn baby girl's eyes. Once home, she snuggled up to me and slept in bed with my husband and me. And, that was it. She was definitely not going anywhere from that moment on, and we did not want her to.

There are many diverse opinions regarding the long term effects of co-sleeping. These opinions are spread out all throughout the world and have been researched and debated. And, there appears to be both bad and good things regarding co sleeping.

Independent sleeping is a popular choice for parents. Many parents believe that infants and children should always sleep alone. In fact, these parents also strongly believe that their children will grow to be more self-sufficient, have superior self-esteem and are happier, according to the University of Notre Dame web site.

Parents who support co-sleeping have some good news. Recent research - according to the hpakids.org web site - shows that there are benefits to co-sleeping. According to the University of Notre Dame web site, studies now show that babies who sleep with their parents have a number of advantages including producing "strong independence, social competence, feeling of high self esteem, and good comportment by children in school, ability to handle stress, strong gender or sex identities."

There are some misconceptions regarding co-sleeping. One misconception is that if your child sleeps with you, she may suffocate. Another misconception is that once you allow your child to come into your bed, she will never leave, however this is not true. People fear SIDS and feel as though co-sleeping will increase the percentage of this happening; however, babies should be just fine when placed on a hard mattress without pillows and blankets which could cover their nose and mouth. Parents who allow their babies to co-sleep often describe their babies as not fearing bedtime and sleeping through the night way earlier than those who sleep alone.

Deciding to allow your baby to co-sleep with you is truly your and your partner's decision. Once you bring your bundle of joy home, you really have to see how she is and how she acts. She may be the kind of child who wants to sleep alone or she may want to be snuggled up to you all night. Either way, discuss your options, and decide what is best for you and your family.

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