One aspect of attachment parenting is co sleeping. Simply put, this concept represents an arrangement wherein your infant sleeps in the family bed with yourself and your significant other. This is a very old practice and very common in non western cultures. Often those in Western cultures seem put off by this idea, thinking that a child needs to learn independence right from the first days, weeks, and months of their lives. What the research tends to show, however, is that children who form a strong attachment to their parents end up being more independent throughout their lives because they know in their bones that they have the support and bond with their parents to lean on when things get tough. Looking for that support while navigating the trials of independence can be time consuming and frustrating. If it is already a part of their experience, if they already have that kind of support behind them, they are more likely to feel safe in exploring their own abilities.
The link goes to more information regarding co sleeping, including some rather intriguing info about mother-infant synchronized breathing and the possible benefits of it, such as deeper sleep, and regulation of infant breathing due to cues from mom. I found it all quite fascinating.
CO-SLEEPING: YES, NO, SOMETIMES?
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