Welcome to the wonderful world of co-sleeping. You’ve arrived here either through meticulous research and planning or by complete accident. One thing remains certain, though: We’ve all fallen into this big bed for a real big reason — sleep.
Months of colicky screaming and the dreaded 4-month sleep regression led me to co-sleeping. I was so sleep-deprived that I was routinely putting the cereal box in the refrigerator and the milk in the cupboard. Co-sleeping allowed me to catch hours of z’s, and the best part was those hours were all in a row! I was a fan!
My husband, however, was woken up by every tiny baby sniffle and snore. He was not a fan. Like my husband and myself, co-sleeping brings out a love-it-or-leave-it attitude in those who try it. Ever wonder which side of this bed you lie on? Here’s a list to help you decide.
The 5 Reasons You Love to Co-Sleep
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You Sleep: Whether it’s your toddler loving to cuddle, or your baby needing the immediacy of your touch, you love the fact that you get some sleep when you co-sleep. Never again will you be jolted awake wondering if it’s the baby monitor whimpering or your partner having his usual nightmare about zombie chickens.
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Cuddle Time Rules: Bedtime cuddles are the bomb. The good news is you don’t have to untangle yourself from the hugging arms of your sleeping kid, run the risk of waking them up, then start bedtime all over again.
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Bonding and Trust Are Increased: Studies have shown that co-sleeping with your kid can create a deep emotional bond — and who can resist those early morning hugs that start your day off energized even before your first cup of coffee?
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Nighttime Feedings and Midnight Diaper Changes Are Easier: Getting out of bed in the middle-of-the-night to help pull down a Pull-Up can be nightmarish. Once awake to accomplish the task, it’s hard to fall back asleep. When you’re bed-sharing, this mission becomes as easy as rolling over a log (or your partner) in order to feed, change, or soothe.
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This Time Will Never Come Again: Looking at your sleeping child, you know that these are the times to cherish. No matter how hard you try to remember them at this moment, you drift off to sleep…with their foot on your face.
The 5 Reasons Your Partner Does Not Love to Co-Sleep
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No Sleep: Even the tiniest of kid sniffles sounds like a thunderstorm to your sleeping partner. Where once they were loving their nights of peaceful slumber, now they’re loving their earplugs even more.
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Cuddle Time Is Not Cuddle-rific: Cuddling is a no-go because your partner is somehow a magnet for small feet, legs, arms, and toes kicking them privately in their privates all night long. Do they make an XXL king-sized bed?
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Something Is Missing: Your partner misses the spontaneity they used to share with you. Now the only mystery lies in whether or not the kid’s diaper will leak on them.
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Bedtime Ritual Is Gone: Now that quiet time in bedtime is a must, your partner can no longer fall asleep to their favorite shows playing loudly on the TV or on an iPhone — only to the baby’s loud snoring.
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Can’t Wait for This Time to End: See all the above reasons.
Co-sleeping became the saving grace for my sanity
I was thrilled to find a way that helped both of us get the sleep we needed, but there were many nights my partner had the opposite reaction. Eventually, my husband adjusted, and we all agreed that co-sleeping meant actually dreaming in your sleep and not dreaming of sleeping.
