I will honestly say bed-sharing isn't for us. I am far too mobile a sleeper (apparently I thrash on occasion) to be confident in my baby's safety. I wanted to have DS in our room for as long as possible, but he decided at 4 months that he slept better in his own room in his cot. After nights of bad sleep I tried him in the cot and it went from there - every little noise he made would wake me, I'd check him which would disturb him as well and it was just a vicious circle.
So whilst all these articles are all well and good, but one size never does fit all.
I don't think these things are intended as directives for parents to follow, but it can be helpful to understand biological norms as a starting point for understanding baby's needs.
Dr James McKenna describes the independent, autonomous sleeping baby as a 'cultural construct' - biologically, little humans seek out comfort to settle and sleep and it takes time to develop those skills for themselves. Naturally, it varies from person to person.
Bookmarks