As hard as it may be to imagine, there exists a rather basic parenting issue that regularly generates even more controversy than circumcision or the disposable-versus-cloth diapers-debate: whether or not to have your child sleep in the same bed as you and your partner.
Even if you are a proponent of the family bed, there will come a time when your child will need to sleep by himself. My rule of thumb is that when anyone in the family bed is uncomfortable, or is having their own sleep compromised, it's time for the child to sleep on his own.
Sleep. It's the stuff of which dreams are made -- particularly when you have a newborn baby. If you're feeling a bit frazzled and exhausted by your baby's erratic sleep patterns, you're not alone. Ann Douglas, author of The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby, has some information about your new baby's needs.
The family bed, co-sleeping, shared sleep -- no matter what you call it, it means that your baby sleeps with you, or very close to you. The family bed is becoming more and more common (or perhaps it's always been common but more people are now talking about it.) There are as many different styles of family beds as there are families! Here are a few of the typical sleeping arrangements:
As hard as it may be to imagine, there exists a rather basic parenting issue that regularly generates even more controversy than circumcision or the disposable-versus-cloth diapers-debate: whether or not to have your child sleep in the same bed as you and your partner.
Even if you are a proponent of the family bed, there will come a time when your child will need to sleep by himself. My rule of thumb is that when anyone in the family bed is uncomfortable, or is having their own sleep compromised, it's time for the child to sleep on his own.
The family bed, co-sleeping, shared sleep -- no matter what you call it, it means that your baby sleeps with you, or very close to you. The family bed is becoming more and more common (or perhaps it's always been common but more people are now talking about it.) There are as many different styles of family beds as there are families! Here are a few of the typical sleeping arrangements:
Sleep. It's the stuff of which dreams are made -- particularly when you have a newborn baby. If you're feeling a bit frazzled and exhausted by your baby's erratic sleep patterns, you're not alone. Ann Douglas, author of The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby, has some information about your new baby's needs.
