Sleeping with children and bad sleep
This is not the first study to find that sleeping together is associated with poorer sleep quality in children.
A study published in Cancer Medicine finds that co-sleeping and other parenting strategies are associated with sleep disorders in children. The 73 children in the study between the ages of two and six were divided into two groups. 43 children were being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The other 30 did not have any major medical conditions .
Parents of all children were asked about their children’s sleep behavior and their own parenting practice, assessed using questionnaires and surveys. Some assessments and scales include :
- My son needs a father present to fall asleep
- I comfort my son immediately when he cries
- I am the type of father who allows my son to do what he wants
- I co-sleep with my son for part / all night
- My child has a bedtime routine
Perhaps unsurprisingly, parents of those treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia reported more sleep disturbances in their children and significantly looser parenting styles. After controlling for disease status , the researchers found that most parenting styles did not have a significant association with childhood sleep problems .
Yet one did: sleep together . The researchers found that co-sleeping was significantly associated with the child’s sleeping difficulties . Although the main objective of this study was to investigate sleep problems in children receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the fact that it used a control group of healthy children means that the results should be of interest to all parents.
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THE EFFECT OF SLEEPING TOGETHER ON A CHILD’S DREAM
This is not the first study to find that sleeping together is associated with poorer sleep quality in children. A 2008 study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that sleeping together, giving a child food / drink when waking up at night, and comforting a child out of bed after waking up at night were associated with more nightmares , less time to sleep and more time. falling asleep
WHY SLEEPING TOGETHER CAN HARM A CHILD’S SLEEP
It is believed that sleeping together can prevent a child from falling into the deepest stages of sleep and can lead to more frequent awakenings . Also, the fact that a parent is present when a child wakes up can make it difficult for the child to fall asleep again.
Children who regularly sleep alongside a parent may also develop a dependence on the parent to help them fall asleep.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A SLEEP ROUTINE
It is important to note that this study did not conclude that sleeping together is the cause of sleep problems in children. Parents may choose to sleep together to help alleviate sleep problems in their children, which may explain why the study found an association between sleeping together and poor quality of sleep .
This article is not intended to be a judgment on co-sleeping . There is no scientific consensus on whether co-sleeping is a negative or positive parenting option. For some it will be positive and for others not so much, this depends more on the interests of each family.
What we must consider is the fact that short – term actions to help a child to sleep can easily become ingrained habits, and this may end up damaging the dream of a child’s long – term .Independientemente whether elected or not sleeping together with children, it is always a good idea to practice good sleep hygiene and keep your child in a regular sleep routine.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.