This morning I heard the cries of my toddler, and try as I might to pretend it was a dream, there was no way I could ignore the pitiful pleas of “Momma, Momma.” So I waited for a bit, then I pried my tired eyes partially open, and I stumbled like a drunk to her room.
Once there I scooped up her sweet, little self, and almost immediately she closed her eyes. But I knew it was just a ruse. I knew if I tried to put her back down she would awaken again, and there would be no sleep for anyone. So I carried her back to my bed, satisfied with my cleverness.
This was how her big sister found her way into our bed, and there she lay still. Four years old, about 6’5″, or so it felt, and she had been sleeping with us from day one.
When she was just a newborn I placed her between us, my husband and I, and there she had dreamed happily each night since. As a new mom I was comforted by the sound of her rhythmic breathing, and she was always close for middle of the night feedings. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
As I held my squirming toddler safely snuggled in my tingling (from lack of circulation) arm, and woke frequently due to her well-placed punches I was reminded what a great fit this form of shared sleep arrangement was for our brood.
Co-sleeping, that’s what the experts called it, and it just seemed like it was made for our little family. I’m so pleased we started this experience years ago. We love it, and here’s why.
1. You get the best sleep. It’s so much easier to sleep soundly when a tiny human rests beside you. You don’t ever flinch awake at the tiniest of sounds, and there’s zero fear of them rolling off the bed, or you squishing them.
2. It’s super comfortable. Nothing says comfort like a foot in the ribs, or a well-placed slap across the face. As children get older they roll around less, and you hardly notice their gangly legs as they connect harshly with your privates.
3. Spousal intimacy is at an all-time high. You can really get creative when you co-sleep, and it brings out the ingenuity in both spouses. When faced with having marital relations outside of the typical, boring bed you get to experience the adventure of intimacy in unexpected places. Who knew the living room floor was so comfortable? Was that a Barbie hand in my back?!
4. The more kids, the easier. After our second child was born we were able to experience the excitement of co-sleeping with more than just one kid. Never mind worrying about your husband rolling over on the baby. Now you can try to keep the preschooler’s knee from connecting with your infant’s head. This doesn’t make you getting any rest difficult at all.
5. You can easily remove them from your bed. That’s the wonderful thing about co-sleeping. You aren’t stuck with it once you start. You won’t end up with a four year old who refuses to sleep in her own, cool, new bed you bought. Basically you can decide to throw your kids out of your bed at any time, and they won’t even kick up a fuss about it. They’ll completely acclimate to sleeping alone.
6. There’s plenty of room in one bed. I’m always pleasantly surprised how little room kiddos take up in a queen-sized bed. I think it’s because they usually lay in only one spot, never deviating from their favored position, and they always lay vertically. Never horizontal.
I’ve discovered over the past, continuous, and restful four years of co-sleeping that I very rarely end up hanging to the edge of the bed, fighting to not fall off while little people push closer and closer into the bend of my aching back. I see no problem having room for another one or two children the way things are going now. I mean king-sized beds are so overrated.
7. Body fluids. I don’t even know why I’m mentioning this. I’ve certainly never woken up covered in spit-up or urine. The cool thing is if you co-sleep with your kids they don’t wet the bed, diapers never leak, and they’re immune to stomach viruses. Isn’t that wonderful? I hardly wash my sheets at all!
As you read over my lucky seven reasons why we love co-sleeping I’m sure you can see why so many parents choose this arrangement for their family. But I can tell you this; even if I wasn’t blessed with these wonderful reasons to continue our sleep journey I probably wouldn’t change a thing.
Despite all the joy of a great night’s sleep I don’t guess anything can compare to the feeling in my heart when my babies are close. No well-placed kick can compare to the contentment we have as a family sleeping together, and that’s why we keep doing it. Somehow, all these things have brought us closer together, figuratively and literally, as a family. And it’s that joy that keeps us bringing them back to our bed.