9 Benefits of Cosleeping with a Baby

All around the world, most mothers cosleep with their babies. Cosleeping is something that comes naturally to a mother and a child.

Hence, in most communities, it is nothing unusual for babies to cosleep with their mothers until they are weaned.

For many people all across the globe, cosleeping continues well beyond the newborn and toddler stages of a child.

Cosleeping is the norm in most countries in Asia, Central America, South America, Africa and Southern Europe.  

So, what is cosleeping?        

When a baby or a child sleeps together with their primary caretaker— most often the mother— it is known as cosleeping.

The baby or child can cosleep with other members of the family as well; be it the father, the grandparents or someone else who’s responsible for their well-being.

Cosleeping is not just about the convenience of baby care. It has a plethora of benefits for both mother and child.

Stated below are nine benefits of cosleeping with a baby—

1. Cosleeping helps in fulfilling a baby's needs without getting up from the bed.

Almost all newborns need to be fed and have their diapers changed around the clock. Babies also need to be soothed whenever they are fussy or sick.

Hence, a mother (or primary caretaker) needs to tend to a baby’s needs throughout the night.

When the baby is right next to the mother, she can take care of the baby without actually getting out of bed. This helps her in staying in a restful state.

She doesn’t have to go through the hassle of getting out of bed, walking to her baby’s room, picking up the baby, putting her on the changing table to change her diaper and sitting on the feeding chair to feed her.

She can simply sit on the bed, reach for the diapers or feeding bottle next to the bed and do the needful.

If she breastfeeds, she can simply feed her baby without getting up. This way she can rest and feed the baby at the same time.

As the mother attends to the baby’s needs quickly, the baby cries less and doesn’t reach a state of complete alertness.

So even for the baby, it is easier to fall back asleep after a night-time wake up if she’s in the same bed with her mother.

Also, for almost a month after birth, the mother might be experiencing pain and weakness due to the whole process of childbirth and everything that happens thereafter.

Having the baby close to them makes it somewhat easier to tend to their needs; especially in the middle of the night, when mother and baby both need to get rest.

This is perhaps one of the biggest benefits of cosleeping with a baby girl or boy.

2. Cosleeping creates a secure attachment between mother and child.

You might have come across the term ‘secure attachment’.

Secure attachment is the bond between a baby and a mother (or any other primary caregiver) that makes the baby feel safe and cared for.

A secure attachment is formed when the primary caregiver (often the mother) is able to consistently meet the physiological as well as the emotional needs of a baby or a child.    

Cosleeping allows a mother to take care of the baby’s needs quickly. Cosleeping also helps release oxytocin, which is known as the ‘love hormone’.

Cosleeping also means that before bed, your little one gets undivided attention from you, which may not be possible during the day.    

All these elements are important factors in creating a secure attachment between mother and baby.

Having a secure attachment with your child is important for her or his overall development.

Secure attachment is also helpful for a child in developing good cognitive, stress management and social skills.

Forming a secure attachment is a major psychological benefit of cosleeping.

3. Cosleeping helps in creating and maintaining enough milk supply.

For babies, upto the age of six months, milk is the only source of food and nutrition.

So, they drink milk frequently, even at night. Cosleeping allows the mother to breastfeed the baby on demand.

When the frequency of nighttime feedings increase, the total number of breastfeeding sessions increase as well.

The more the mother breastfeeds the baby, the more prolactin (a hormone) gets produced.

Cosleeping also creates an opportunity for a lot of skin-to-skin contact between the mother and the baby.

The extended skin-to-skin contact that occurs naturally while cosleeping can increase prolactin levels as well.

Having an appropriate level of prolactin helps the mother’s body make a steady supply of milk that is enough to feed her baby.

Another positive side effect is that, when the baby gets breastfed on demand during the night, the mother doesn’t need to face engorgement in the morning; which can be quite painful.    

4. Cosleeping helps the baby remain calmer.

When you see photos or pictures of safe cosleeping, you might have noticed that both the mother and the baby always look happy.

In the cosleeping photos the baby and the mother seem to be sleeping very peacefully. It is because they do.

Staying close to their mama, the baby feels safe. And when they feel safe, babies sleep better.

Also, cosleeping makes the mother attuned to their baby’s needs (hunger, diaper changes etc.).

They can start fulfilling those needs the moment the baby starts to fuss, before they actually start crying.

And after the baby’s needs are met, you can simply lay her down with you to go back to sleep.

Which means that there’s no struggle or stress to try and make them sleep in their own bed or crib.

All of these factors make for a calmer and happier baby. And as a consequence, a calmer and happier mama.                

5. Cosleeping promotes physiological regulation.

There are various physiological benefits of cosleeping that are not talked about enough.

These physiological benefits play a major role in maintaining a baby’s health and happiness.

As cosleeping allows a mother and child to stay physically close throughout the night, it hugely promotes physiological regulation.

Which basically means that cosleeping is helpful in stabilising a baby’s breathing, which consequently, stabilises her heart beat.

It also helps a baby maintain her body temperature at a level that is deemed safe and healthy.

Other physiological regulation factors include reduced stress, healthy cortisol levels and a strong immune system.

Cosleeping also creates a good physiological synchrony between mother and baby.

This is a significant element when it comes to stable and appropriate sleep-wake cycles for the baby.

Newborns often tend to mix up their days and nights. They sleep well during the day and wake up from their sleep frequently during the night.

Cosleeping can teach a baby to sleep long hours during the night.

But remember that it is quite normal for babies to wake up multiple times in the night upto about 18 months of age.    

6. Cosleeping helps in providing more care to the baby.

An obvious benefit of cosleeping with a baby is that it helps in providing more care to the baby.

Research has shown that mothers who cosleep with their baby breastfeed twice as long as mothers who don’t cosleep with their babies.

What’s more?

A baby needs more care than just feeding and diaper changes.

They can’t adjust a blanket on their own. Upto a certain age, they can’t reposition themselves when they roll into an unsafe sleeping-position.

When a mother cosleeps with the baby, they get additional protective care and attention.

The mother is always there to adjust their clothes or blankets. The mother also makes sure that the baby is sleeping in a safe position.

Also, when a baby cosleeps with a mother or a father or any other primary caregiver, they get extra cuddles.

And cuddling is something that is great for a baby and a young child’s psychological growth and well-being.          

7. Cosleeping minimises bedtime struggles.

Anyone who’s ever put a baby to bed knows how hard it can get sometimes.

This tiny battle doesn’t really go away once the baby becomes a toddler; or even older for that matter.

When a baby is sleeping in the same bed or even the same room as their parents, they know that there’s no reason for them to be afraid of bedtime.

They learn that the bed and the bedroom is a safe space for them to lie down, relax and go to sleep.

This is a huge benefit of co-sleeping with 5 year-olds or even babies for that matter.

Because when they get a little bit older and move into their own bedrooms and sleep in their own beds, they would associate that same feeling of security and calmness with their bedrooms and be able to sleep on their own.      

8. Cosleeping can potentially save a baby’s life.

There is no real proof that cosleeping is inherently dangerous.

When done correctly, in accordance with the provided guidelines for cosleeping, it can be a very rewarding and joyful experience.

In fact, cosleeping can potentially save your baby’s life. And it is a big benefit of cosleeping with 1 year old and younger babies.      

Young babies tend to get too hot or too cold during the night, depending on the weather.

When a baby is sleeping alone, the parents may not be aware of the changes in the baby’s body temperature.

If the changes in body temperature are too great, it may prove to be fatal for the baby.

When a baby co-sleeps with a parent, the parent would be aware of the changes in body temperature and take action to do the needful and keep the baby safe.

There have also been various stories where a cosleeping mother had been woken up to the sound and movement of their baby choking on their own vomit.

The mothers were able to take action quickly and stop the baby from choking to death.

This would not have been possible to do if the baby was sleeping alone in their own room.

Some young babies tend to just stop breathing when they are sick, or sometimes without any medical reason, without the parents knowing what’s happening.

This is super dangerous when a baby sleeps alone in a room.

And that is why SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is quite common in places where babies sleep in their own rooms.

However, there have been many cases where the parents co-sleeping with a baby have become aware of the child’s condition and helped them to breathe again.    

9. Cosleeping lets the mother get better sleep and more rest.

It’s not just the babies. Even the mothers’ brains are “wired” for closeness. Their minds are at ease when their little one is close to them, even while sleeping.

The hormonal changes that occur after the baby’s delivery makes a mother super-protective of her baby. She is there to nurture and protect her child.

So, the mother is able to put her mind at ease when her baby is right next to her or atleast in the same room.    

This way, she can see the baby at all times and know that the baby is doing fine.

When her mind’s satisfied about the baby’s safety and well-being, she’s able to sleep better. And get the rest she needs.

Also, when mothers are sleeping next to their babies, they release oxytocin— the love hormone.

Oxytocin is also known to improve the quality of sleep and help in milk-production.

Now that you are familiar with the benefits of cosleeping with a baby, you need to learn how to cosleep safely.

Check out these tips for cosleeping safely with a baby.  

Benefits of Cosleeping FAQs

Do babies benefit from co-sleeping?

Babies benefit greatly from cosleeping. Babies simply sleep better when they are sleeping next to their parents.

When babies sleep well, they grow well. Sleep is crucial for the physical, emotional and physiological development of babies.      

At what age should you stop co-sleeping with your baby?

Though there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, it is often suggested that when a child reaches prepubescent age (ages 9-13) or about to step into teenagehood, it is a good time to stop cosleeping with your child.

As they may want to have some privacy at those age brackets, it is best to provide them with their own room at that age.

However, many kids show signs of wanting more independence at a much younger age. Those kids may be ready to have their own room as well.

In any case, no need to force anything. Do what’s best for your kids and your family.

How long you want to cosleep with your children needs to be your and your kids’ decision, no one else’s.  

Does co-sleeping create a bond?

One of the best benefits of cosleeping with a 3 year old, a younger or an older child is that it helps in creating a deep bond with your child.

Studies have found that the close proximity to their parents or primary caretakers create a sense of security in babies and kids.

This sense of security goes on to create a secure attachment between the parent and child.  

Also, the child knows that their needs will be met by the parent or the caretaker as soon as they arise.

It further strengthens the secure attachment already formed.

Cosleeping also allows a mother or any other primary caretaker to spend more quality time with the child compared to people who don’t cosleep.

You can read a book, sing songs or cuddle till the child falls asleep.

These things can be done with non-cosleeping kids as well, but it's less tiring when you are cosleeping with your little one.      

You actually enjoy bedtime rituals with cosleeping kids.        

Which cultures co-sleep?

A majority of parents and primary caretakers cosleep with their babies and kids, all around the world.

Mostly, people from Asia, Europe, Africa, South America and Central America are known to cosleep with their kids.              

What are the psychological effects of cosleeping?

Psychological effects of a child cosleeping with parents include a sense of security and closeness.

Children who cosleep also feel more calm and comfortable at bedtime.

It leads to emotional fulfillment in the child as well as the parent who is cosleeping.

All of this helps in creating a secure attachment between the child and parents.

Why do babies sleep better in your bed?

Babies feel safe when they are close to you. And when they feel safe, they sleep better.

And even though they may wake up multiple times during the night for various reasons, their needs are met quickly.

Quite often, especially in cases of newborns, those needs are met even before the baby wakes up completely or with full alertness.

As a result, it is easier to put them back to sleep. And since you are right there, they fall asleep quickly.

Hence, they simply sleep better when they are lying next to you.  

Is cosleeping common in India?

Yes. A majority of the population in India cosleeps with their kids.

And not just babies, parents cosleep with kids until they reach teenagehood; sometimes even longer.

Cosleeping is the norm in India.

What is attachment parenting?

Attachment parenting is the type of parenting style or philosophy that encourages the emotional as well as physical attachment of mother and child.

Attachment parenting is carried out by always being responsive to a child’s needs and great empathy. It is also carried out by actual physical closeness.

Which basically means that attachment parenting method includes things like cosleeping, baby-carrying (while doing chores etc.), and staying attuned and responding to the baby’s needs.                          
 

Why do babies sleep longer next to their mom?

One of the biggest benefits of cosleeping with 2 year old or younger babies is that they simply sleep better when they are sleeping next to their mom or a primary caregiver.

The presence of a mother or a nurturing figure at bedtime brings along a sense of warmth, comfort and safety.

All of these elements play an important role when it comes to good sleep in babies.

Also, sleeping next to the mother allows her to take care of the baby’s needs quicker, cutting short any crying that may happen.

Less crying equals more sleep as it is easier to put a calm baby to sleep than an agitated one.