2 In the "A-level" recommendation—the Academy's strongest evidence rating—the AAP said that room-sharing should continue at least until the baby is 6 months old, ideally until 12 months. The 2017 study suggests that it may actually be better for babies to have their own rooms starting at the age of 4 months old.
Dear Concerned: It is not appropriate for parents to co-sleep with adolescent children, partly because adolescents need and deserve some privacy, as they engage in the developmentally important process of figuring out who they are and what they're about.
Stop Co-Sleeping with Your Baby at Age Two
It is an essential method that is used by most parents to help kids feel less stressed at night. And while there is no question that there are numerous health benefits, it is always best to end co-sleeping by the end of age two at the latest.
Co-sleeping is not recommended, but a 7-year-old child sleeping with parents is considered normal in many families and cultures. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) warns against co-sleeping at any age, especially if the infant is younger than four months.
“There is nothing wrong with cuddling your eight-year-old in bed and, on occasion, sleeping with them for comfort when they're stressed or ill,” says Janet Morrison, a psychological associate from Toronto who assesses children, adolescents and families.
Dr. Basora-Rovira says there is no specific age that is “too old” for co-sleeping. She encourages parents to not begin practicing co-sleeping in the first place. And, if you are already co-sleeping with your child, to transition him or her out of your bed and into his or her own room as soon as possible.
Basora-Rovira says, “The recommendation overall is that kids should sleep on their own, on their own surface, in their own room.” If the family makes the choice of co-sleeping, they should practice safe sleep practices and co-sleep consistently.
After 12 months, there is no proven risk of harm. There is no evidence that bed-sharing produces children who are more spoiled or dependent. Proven harm to parents. Several studies have shown that more than half of the children who sleep with their parents resist going to bed and awaken several times during the night.
When's the best time to move a baby to its own room? I recommend doing it around 6-7 months. After that, infants become much more tuned in to the particulars of their surroundings and may have trouble with the change. Also, by 8 months, many babies suddenly notice—and really care—if there's no one nearby.
Answer: In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with letting children crawl into bed with their parents. Babies and young children have a legitimate need for closeness during the night, and I recommend letting them sleep with their parents until they reach an age at which they no longer request this.
Is it safe to co-sleep with your toddler? Beginning at the age of 1, co-sleeping is generally considered safe. In fact, the older a child gets, the less risky it becomes, as they are more readily able to move, roll over, and free themselves from restraint.
Recent studies indicate that near epidemic proportion of children are co-sleeping with parents today. According to Parenting's MomConnection, a surprising 45% of moms let their 8- to 12-year-olds sleep with them from time to time, and 13% permit it every night.
Early childhood co-sleeping is associated with increased risk in multiple preadolescent behavioral problems, including anxiety, depression, withdrawal, attention, and affective problems, even after controlling for individual differences in early childhood behavioral problems.
For example, co-sleeping during the school-aged years has been associated with problems initiating sleep, less nighttime sleep, more daytime sleepiness, more bedtime resistance, increased nighttime awakenings, and greater levels of sleep anxiety (Blader et al.
Experts generally recommend around the age of 3 is when children are capable of self-soothing and can move to independent sleeping. Decide if the time is right for your family, and then literally set a date. If your child is old enough you can discuss it and start counting down.
Thus, rather than having to learn how to self-soothe and manage his or her own fears, the child has only learned how to escape from the fear of sleeping in their own bed. Other reasons parents may allow a child to co-sleep include marital difficulties or a recent divorce or transition in the family.
Growing children need more sleep than adults, being approximately 12 to 14 hours each day. Allowing your children to sleep on their own beds not only gives them the liberty to sleep in any comfortable position they want but also reduces external movements and disturbances that might otherwise disrupt their sleep.
Some children are all-night sleepers, but they're in the minority. It's natural for babies and children to want to sleep with their parents, or very close to them, as it's a primal thing to do. A look at young dependent mammals will attest this - they all sleep next to their parents/mother.
If you are co-sleeping with a baby who is under 12 months, we would recommend getting them sleeping in their own bed again as soon as possible. Over 12 months, the risk of SIDs - sudden unexplained infant death, decreases, so there is less urgency in stopping co-sleeping.
Cosleeping doesn't cause separation anxiety, but if your child cannot be without you at night without having a breakdown, I think you should work towards some independence at bedtime).
To ease the transition, consider putting a mattress on the floor in your kid's room, and sleeping there for a few nights, suggests Briggs. You can slowly move the mattress further from the bed until you're no longer in the room at all.
The solution: To encourage your child to fall asleep alone, help him or her feel secure. Start with a calming bedtime routine. Then offer a comfort object, such as a favorite stuffed animal or blanket. Turn on a night light or leave the bedroom door open if it will help your child feel better.