Study shows no ill effects of sharing your bed with your kids

SALT LAKE CITY — For years parents were told co-sleeping was not a good idea, but a new study now suggests otherwise.

Bed-sharing is common in Asia and Africa, but it's not the norm in the United States. However, there is a growing trend of parents no longer afraid to admit they let their kids in bed with them.

"We just wanted to keep our room as a safe haven for our children and a place where they could feel comfortable coming — whether it be with a bad dream, or just when they're sick, or just to cuddle," says Megan Whitaker.

Whitaker and many other parents take comfort in their co-sleeping habits, and a recent Columbia University study of nearly 1,000 families says that's OK. Researchers found no long-term effects of bed-sharing on a child's learning or behavioral development.

Sure, there's the risk of interrupted sleep with junior tossing and turning, not to mention the minimal opportunity for intimacy between husband and wife, but if your toddler wants to get tucked in next to you the biggest problem may become who gets the pillow.

"You think this through. Make good choices based on what you think is going to work for your family and then stick to it; because kids, above all else, work best with routines," says NBC contributor Michelle Borba.

So what happens when it's time to reclaim your bed? Child psychiatrists say just be firm and explain that it's time for them to sleep in their own bed.

Then if they wander back in the middle of the night — maybe they're scared — be calm, be gentle and be boring. Take them back to their bed and don't play. You may have to repeat those steps again and again.

One important note: Despite the findings of the Columbia University study, the American Academy of Pediatrics still recommends against bed-sharing with infants under age 1 because of an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Email: bwalker@ksl.com

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