When it comes to co-sleeping, everyone loves to list a whole bunch of ways it could affect your child's mental health and well-being, but nobody talks about the ways co-sleeping helps with your mental health. Although kicks to the face from tiny footed pajamas may be uncomfortable, co-sleeping may be giving you some major internal benefits.
Co-sleeping is one of those parenting decisions that totally triggers everyone's expertise. Everybody loves to tell you that your baby will never learn to sleep on their own, that you're going to have a ton of issues with your kid, and that no one in the family is going to have a good night's sleep. Turns out, co-sleeping isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of issue. Although some people may find that co-sleeping works for them, there are no absolutes on what will happen if you and your family decide to take this route. Like all parenting decisions, it varies from family to family.
Dr. Craig Canapari, director of the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center, noted that co-sleeping is fine for any family as long as everyone is getting "good enough" sleep. That means you, your partner, and your children should all be waking up feeling well-rested. If that's not happening, then it's time to give it up. But you may find that your co-sleeping arrangement is doing more than getting you extra sleep, it's also providing you with these five mental health benefits. You may not get as many covers as you'd like, but if you can lower your anxiety risks, then why not slide over and make room for your babes?