Babies from birth need their parents more than even breathing. It is vital for them both physically and emotionally that their parents are by their side all the time, that they take care of them, feed them, guide them and provide them with all the unconditional love they need in order to have a good general development. Do you know how long your child should sleep with you? Neither 9 months nor 6 years, science says that the ideal is 3 years.

Up to three years

There are three years that your child needs to sleep next to you to feel protected and bond with you and thus obtain physical and emotional benefits. Here’s what research led by pediatrician Nils Bergman, a pediatrician at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, says.

Nils says that parents should not accustom their child to sleep in another bedroom since he is just a few months old because what the little one needs is to be next to his parents and rest with them, at least until he is 3 years old. Nils comments that in this way both the child and the mother can rest more and obtain a much closer bond than if each one sleeps in their own room.

According to their research, a child has much less stress when sleeping with his mother because he feels more protected in all aspects, both physically and emotionally.

Better development

Children who sleep well will have better physical, mental and emotional development because they will rest more and better, will be calmer all the time, will learn better and will have a much greater emotional balance than those children who rest worse at night. Nils links this directly to resting with parents, if they sleep with their parents they will rest more than if they sleep alone. Furthermore, children who sleep with their mothers are believed to grow up more independent than if they sleep alone.

There are parents who worry that if they sleep with their young children they will never want to sleep alone and that they will always be in their beds, but in reality, there will come a time when the little ones will tell their parents that they want to sleep in their bedroom. This will come when you have the confidence and assurance to do so.

Syndrome of sudden infant death

There are many specialists who assure that sleeping with parents can increase Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, although Nils says that this does not happen only from sleeping near the parents, but rather from toxic smoke, large pillows or dangerous toys . He comments that these situations must be avoided by maintaining safety in the bedroom, because sleeping with the mother does not mean that they sleep in the same bed, far from it … but rather that what they need is to sleep in the same room.

Be that as it may, whether you sleep with your children in the same bedroom or not, you should know that you are doing it well and that what your child really needs is to know that you are there. If he calls you at night, go quickly to his claim and he will feel just as safe as if you have him in the same bedroom.