than most people believe. Cosleeping is practiced in a variety of ways around the world. In Latin America, the Philippines, and Vietnam, some parents sleep with their baby in a hammock next to the bed. Others place their baby in a wicker basket in the bed, between the two parents.
“Co-sleeping is the usual practice in preindustrial societies around the world where there are no special beds for babies to sleep safely by themselves. Co-sleeping on mats on the floor is a cultural norm in Asia, where the family traditionally co-sleeps together in the same room.
Countries such as Sweden, Egypt, and Japan value a child-rearing model of interdependence and hold beliefs that co-sleeping is developmentally beneficial to children.
Bed-sharing is standard practice in many parts of the world outside of North America, Europe and Australia, and even in the latter areas a significant minority of children have shared a bed with their parents at some point in childhood.
In Japan, it's the rule rather than the exception for families to sleep together, with babies co-sleeping with their parents until the next baby arrives. And even then, the first child tends to co-sleep with another family member until the age of ten.
Co-sleeping (the baby sleeping with one or both parents) is a very common practice in India, with some parents continuing to share their bed with older children too.
Asian cultures are known for their bedsharing habits, both in infancy and beyond. Japan is perhaps the most famous example in which traditional Japanese homes have one room for the family to sleep in—until kids leave the family house.
For the overwhelming majority of mothers and babies around the globe today, cosleeping is an unquestioned practice. In much of southern Europe, Asia, Africa and Central and South America, mothers and babies routinely share sleep.
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.
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.
Families in predominantly Asian countries and regions such as Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, or China co-sleep much more frequently than in the United States.
Bed-sharing increases a baby's risk of dying from SIDS, especially in preterm infants (preemies), babies who had a low birth weight, and healthy full-term infants younger than 4 months old. Other things that increase this risk of death while bed-sharing include: a baby sleeping on a couch alone or with a parent.
Year after the year, Japan is one of the countries with one of the lowest infant mortality rates. There are a few reasons why this may be: They have lower rates of maternal smoking and alcohol consumption — and research has shown that both maternal smoking and prenatal drinking increase a child's SIDS risk.
Bedsharing in young children, and relations to sleep health
Bedsharing among children is ostensibly common. In a recent cross-cultural analysis of sleep habits in children ages 3–6 years, approximately 13.1% of U.S. caregivers reported sharing a bed with their child (Mindell et al., 2013).
The AAP's safe sleeping guidelines, which were updated in June 2022, state that parents should never let their baby sleep in the bed with them—citing the risk of suffocation, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and other sleep-related deaths.
American kids get up early to go to school, so in order to get the recommended daily allowance of sleep, any responsible parent sets them down at a reasonable early hour.
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.
Let Your Child Sleep on Their Own by Age Five
Parents should introduce sleeping in their own spaces as early as five years old. This is when they are fully grown, and still young enough to get used to the norm of having their bed and space.
Nothing is weird if you enjoy it! But, to answer your question, it is out of the norm, and by the age of 16 most kids will sleep in their own room, but there is nothing wrong with you sleeping in the same bed as your mom, If both you and her are comfortable with it, then why not?
Totally fine. But it isn't appropriate for children to be sleeping with adults unrelated to them, unless perhaps they see that adult as a parent.
Data of rates of co-sleeping in school-age children in western countries are scarce. But recent studies show in China, 25% of pre-adolescents co-sleep. In Brazil up to 47% of school-aged children sleep in their parents' bed at least sometimes, while 30% of school-aged children co-sleep in Italy.
As a Dutch culture, we are not particularly known to be the most spontaneous and flexible people. Everything is planned and unannounced visits are rare. From our bedtime routine to a sleep schedule that is consistent, it all helps children sleep through the night and sleep longer.
Indeed, strict parenting is not only found in the South Asian culture, it is incredibly widespread. Immigrants hailing from countries like China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Poland, Kenya and Nigeria, all tend to raise their American children under a strict set of household rules.
Story Highlights. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest percentage of single mothers worldwide, at 32%.
Co-sleeping. Japanese families often share two or three large futons spread over a tatami room, with parents sleeping next to babies and young children. Napping, just not in beds.