It's Attachment Parenting month, and co-sleeping or bed-sharing is a significant component of the attached family lifestyle. As with much of Attachment Parenting, though, it just makes intuitive sense. Kids often sleep better nestled in among family members, and nighttime wakings are lessened or eliminated. If someone has a bad dream or needs a blanket, it can be quickly addressed without much interrupted sleep and everyone can wake happier and more refreshed.
For us, co-sleeping is a way of life and it just made sense to get rid of the barely-used crib to maximize space in our city condo. And instead of bed-sharing, we should call it bed-switching. Sometimes my infant and I sleep in one bed while Daddy and the big kids are in the other. Sometimes all of the kids and I are in one room and Daddy is in the other. Sometimes two are with me and one is with Daddy. Sometimes the two big kids are in one bed and the rest of us are in another, until one or more big kids migrate to our bed in the night. It all depends.
At some point down the road, it is certain that the kids will share a room and sleep in it all night. At some point, I won't have any more midnight elbow jabs, or leg pokes, or all-night nursing sessions. At some point, in a blink really, the nights will be very predictable and our king bed will once again seem spacious with just Daddy and me. But until then, we'll savor the sleepy snuggles.
