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Co-sleeping is a common practice of many parents today, the practice itself has been around for centuries and is still practiced in many third world countries. However, the difference here in America is that it is not done out of necessity, but out of preference. A good number of parents who practice co sleeping, practice a philosophy called Attachment Parenting which advocates cloth diapering, breastfeeding and against letting babies cry it out. The question is should a parent share a bed with their baby? The answer is no. The overall practice is a recipe for disaster.

The first place to start is with common sense safety reasons. It is a good possibility that the baby could fall off the bed sustain a head injury that could either be fatal or at the very least cause permanent brain damage. The solution to this by many advocates of co sleeping is that pillows can be put up between the edge of the bed and any space between the bed and wall. This of course presents another safety concearn, a baby can get caught in these fluffy type pillows and possibly suffocate to death, as they cannot roll over the way older children and adults can.Blankets and comforters are also potential safety hazards to infants. Last but not least there is the possibilty that Mom or Dad could role over on the child during sleep and possibly injure or kill their child.

The second thing is that it can interfere with a child's inability to become independent and self reliant. If a child is acclimated to sleeping in the bed or in the same room with their parents when the child is old enough to be moved into a room/bed of their own the adjustment could be problematic. The level of separation anxiety can be difficult for the child, not only in being able to sleep alone, but can transcend into other areas of life as well. This can include school, being left in the care of relative or babysitters and even impact having meaningful friendships.Children need to be taught from an early age to be self sufficient and to function in society as adults. Many parents initially will have the baby in the same room when they bring the baby home from the hospital, often in a bassinet , This is fine for the first couple of months, especially for the infamous 2 AM feedings and mom is recovering from birth. Usually by the time the child is three months old they are sleeping in their own crib often in their own room.

The last and very important thing is the effect that this practice can have on a marriage. Any married couple knows that having children can put a strain on even the best marriages regardless of the sleeping arrangements of the children. However as time goes by it is normal for a husband especially to want too resume intimate relations with his wife. A woman needs to have her priorities intact and while she may want too focus 100% of her time on her baby, if she does not have time for her spouse it can kill a marriage. Children should be apart of the family not the center of it. A couples bedroom should be their sanctuary, to spend alone time together and to cultivate their relationship. If children are constantly occupying their bed it makes romance and alone time difficult to accomplish. In order for children to have a happy stable home, Mom and Dad need to be happy. So for the sake of all, it is best to keep children out of the marital bed.

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