Co-Sleeping Promotes Security and Self Confidence

In the United States, prior to the 19th century, it was customary for an infant/child to sleep within close proximity to it's mother. However, it may surprise you that more cultures than not continue to participate in the parental act of co-sleeping with their young.

The mother co-sleeping is better able to attend to the child's needs when the child is placed in close proximity to her. This act tends to promote security and a sense of well-being within the child. Cultures that nurture their children 24 hours a day tend to produce more secure, balanced, and productive adults.

On the contrary, when a child is left isolated in a private room to cry itself to sleep, cortisol levels are raised creating a stressed immune response and higher blood pressure & insulin levels. A study was performed on baby monkeys that concluded that when a child is left in this manner, that even when it is able to self soothe it continues to have high cortisol levels.

So, our child is quite and we are all sleeping, but internally the child is experiencing biological stress levels even though it is not demonstrating an outward stress reaction. In the monkey study the monkeys cortisol remained high even after 80 episodes of being left alone. Could this contribute to some of the disorders and illnesses our children are experiencing now more than ever? (ADHD, autism, juvenile diabetes, violence, mental challenges?)

I don't know the answer to that... But I do know that when a child is soothed and it's innate cues (cries) are understood and responded to appropriately, the child will learn to trust and rely upon the mother and develop a greater self confidence. This trust and effective communication skill will transcend not only through infancy but through childhood and into the teenage years and adulthood.