Children should sleep with their parents until 3 years old

Should babies sleep together or sleep separately is always a question that causes many parents headaches. Many families believe that co-sleeping is a good way to spend time together bonding and reducing stress for both parents and children. However, some families choose to put their baby to sleep separately to avoid dependence and keep the baby safe.

However, a study by Dr. Nils Bergman – working at the University of Cape Town (South Africa), showed that children should sleep with their parents in the early stages of life so as not to affect the bond between mother and child. little. In addition, effects on brain development tend to predispose children to bad behavior as they grow up.

For his study, Dr. Nils Bergman followed 16 children. He found that the hearts of babies who slept alone in their cribs were three times more likely to be stressed than babies who slept next to their mothers. Research has also shown disruptions to the brain’s sleep cycle in crib babies. This is a very important factor in the development of the body.

According to Dr. Nils Bergman, babies need to be on the mother’s chest for the first few weeks after birth for optimal development. After that, the baby should sleep next to the mother until 3 or 4 years old to avoid affecting the child’s brain development; and prevent bad behavior for the child in later life.

How to keep children safe when co-sleeping

Dr. James McKenna, director of the Maternal and Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame (USA), also emphasized the importance of children co-sleeping with their parents. According to him, doing this can really contribute to helping children become more independent, confident and socially competent.

To safely co-sleep with children, parents need to pay attention to the following:

Newborns always need to sleep on their backs, never put them to sleep in the prone position – face down on the bed. Parents should not tie or wrap the baby tightly, let the baby move freely. The mattress must be flat and firm, so that there is no risk of the baby getting caught between the bed and the mattress or pressed against the wall or another bed.

Parents always have the child lie on a firm, clean surface and never cover the child’s head. When sleeping, parents should dress the child in light clothes, do not bundle, wrap the child too tightly when sleeping and regularly check whether the baby is too hot or not, do not sleep with the baby when smoking or drunk. .

In general, babies sleep better when they are with their parents because they will feel protected and protected. Parents are also more convenient to take care of their children if they sleep with them. However, parents should also let their children sleep separately after the age of 3 to increase independence.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents can train their babies to sleep separately by letting them sleep in a crib, or a crib with a firm mattress, or using a specialized mattress for babies… without needing to do so. any pillow, towel or barrier.

Huyen My (According to Independent, Huffpost)