Kids
How To Make Co-Sleeping Work Without The Clinginess
One of the biggest issues about co-sleeping is that kids get clingy. Here’s how to deal with it.
There’s been quite a buzz about co-sleeping, especially its pros and cons. Some say that co-sleeping makes kids more anxious or develops a sleep crutch — a thing that they must have to help them fall asleep. But co-sleeping also helps babies feel less anxious and get more body warmth, especially from their mothers. While it has both its risks and benefits, here’s how we can maximize the pros of co-sleeping while minimizing the cons.
1. Reading a book before bed.
Reading a book before bed helps the mind slow down and has been proven to improve “sleep quality” because there’s less struggle. It’s also a good bonding activity before bed which will make it easier to wean off the co-sleeping when the kids get older. Reading something light helps the mind imagine or focus on something relaxing before nodding off.
2. Have an extra bed in the same room for the kids when they get older.
Co-sleeping may be fun for a while but not when they grow quickly and if they’re restless while asleep. Transitioning kids to sleep in their own room can start with having a bed of their own in the same room to ease the separation anxiety. This arrangement also works if kids are prone to coughing or breathing problems at night, making it easier for us to respond to them when they have a medical issue in the middle of the night.
3. Make sure that everybody is comfortable on the bed.
What makes co-sleeping frustrating is not only are we trying to get a good night’s sleep, we’re trying not to roll on top of our kids while they’re sleeping. Maintaining that level of consciousness can mess up how well we sleep so there needs to be a mental note right before bed to make sure it’s comfortable. Fewer pillows help as well since there’s more space to move around. Besides, sharing that skin-to-skin contact helps keep the baby warm and maintains that level of intimacy.
4. Keep your own blanket.
Some of us love hogging the blanket which can mess up our quality of sleep and so it’s better for everyone to have their own. Babies can be swaddled up or wear a sleep sack and we can have our own so that we don’t have to fight for the blanket with our husbands.
Co-sleeping has both its pros and cons
Making the most out of co-sleeping is a delicate balance, especially when there are so many parents that advocate for it and are against it. Sometimes, though, the anxiety usually comes from us moms because we want to be prepared for everything which feeds our need to be control freaks and makes it harder to wean ourselves and our kids off co-sleeping. But like all parenting tactics, it’s best to always check if it’s something possible to do or not.
More about parenting and sleep:
Sleeping Enough But Waking Up Tired? This Might Be the Reason.
8 Ways to Create a Safe Sleep Environment for Your Baby
A Parent’s Music Playlist To Get Babies To Sleep
