There has been so much debate over co-sleeping over the years, and it seems the often heated discussion from the pro and anti camps has taken quite a toll on mums and dads.
According to a new study conducted by a US expert, around half of parents who co-sleep with their children are lying about it to their family and friends – and even their doctors.
The intriguing revelation was made by Susan Stewart, a professor of sociology at Iowa State University, who has just published a book on the subject.
As part of her research, Stewart interviewed around 51 American co-sleeping parents, and carried out a detailed study into the families’ sleeping habits. This included looking at how co-sleeping impacted the intimate relationship between the parents, as well as the bond between parents and their children. She even studied families who co-slept with children up to the age of 13.
She was alarmed to find that, at the end of her study, about 50 percent of the parents lied to both loved ones and medical professionals, and said they weren’t bringing their children into their bed when, in truth, they were.
No prizes for guessing exactly why these parents are lying about the habit – they have been shamed into denial, and believe that they will be harshly judged by those who discourage the practise (which some establishments have linked to an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS).
In an interview with Babble.com, to promote her new book, Co-Sleeping: Parents, Children, and Musical Beds, explains the findings of her study in further detail.
“I discovered that when these parents talked about co-sleeping with friends, family members, and their paediatricians, they were led to believe that bed-sharing was harmful to their babies,” she said.
“Some of them were even told that co-sleeping would spoil their children and make them needy.
“The parents in my study felt so guilty, because they worried that they were putting their children at risk.”
Stewart is now hoping to break the stigma and support proponents of co-sleeping with her book.
