The Family Bed: Why It’s Important
Updated
January 9, 2024
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Updated
January 9, 2024
What’s better than hitting the sack after a long, tiring day at work? Perhaps, cuddling with your partner, kids, and pets!
After all, cuddling increases oxytocin production and lowers stress levels, so why not? But you obviously cannot fit all of your loved ones in your own bed. And that’s when a luxurious and super comfortable family bed enters the scene.
Designed for big families and their fur buddies, the “family bed concept” may not be a necessity, but it is still a versatile piece of furniture. It is where you can crash after a party, steal a few moments with your spouse while sipping coffee, or build a pillow castle with the kids.
But if you’re still wondering whether you should splurge on a family bed, keep reading…
Simply put, a family bed is just like any other bed but larger (usually bigger than a king-size bed). Depending on size, you can share the same bed with multiple family members. Also known as super-sized beds, family beds are a new invention in the mattress industry, but quite functional. After all, the more, the merrier!
While most paediatricians suggest sleeping on different beds for parents and babies, if done carefully, co-sleeping is quite beneficial.
First off, family bed sharing promotes mother-child bonding due to the close proximity, constant touch, and regular breastfeeding. In fact, frequent breastfeeding throughout the night helps maintain the mother’s milk supply and relaxes the mother as well as the baby.
Moreover, this bonding time is more cherished by working parents who tend to stay out for work and can only reunite with their child at night.
In the early months, leaving an infant alone to sleep by themselves is the perfect recipe for trauma! Not to forget, babies tend to wake up multiple times during the night.
That’s when feeling the presence of their mother nearby helps them feel at ease and go back to sleep. The most a mother may need to do is nurse the baby for a few minutes, but regardless, the little ones tend to sleep quicker and longer when kept next to their mothers.
By sharing a family-sized bed in the same room, mothers will no longer have to leave the room and go to the infant’s crib for nighttime feedings. This means they can effectively nurse the child while half asleep. Isn’t that great?
Moreover, having your little ones dozing nearby creates a sense of calm with their sweet sleep sounds, and warm cheeks nuzzled against yours! As a result, parents can enjoy better, deeper sleep on a family bed.
Most parents who sleep in a different room, away from their children, tend to sleep on the same bed while travelling. This sudden change in the sleeping space makes both parents and children struggle to fall asleep. But when you co-sleep anyway, sleeping is just a tight hug away!
Of course, a snoring partner or a sleep-talking child is difficult to sleep with. But bed-sharing allows you to catch health issues in an instant.
For example, if your child feels feverish and heats up at night, you’ll know right away. On the contrary, if you’re sleeping separately, you may only find out they’re sick the next morning. At times like these, parents feel more “at ease” sleeping with their kids, knowing that they can start any medication (if needed) and care for their little ones instantly.
We know how kids are. They’ll wake up early in the morning on holidays and slog their way out of bed on school days! So, on days when you want them to stay in and spare yourself of their naughty antics, sleeping together is a good way to make them snuggle and sleep longer.
Despite some exceptions, children of different ages love sleeping with their parents. It makes them feel warm, safe, and secure. For parents, too, nothing feels better than sleeping with their tiny tots and waking up to their adorable sleepy faces.
Once you start co-sleeping with the whole family, you’ll realise there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. Well, most of the time!
Although co-sleeping is great for spending more time with your family, here are some things you must keep in mind to ensure everyone is comfortable and safe…
Lastly, we do not recommend co-sleeping if you have a sleep disorder or if you’re obese. Such health conditions can be dangerous for your young child.
Now that we’ve convinced you to try co-sleeping, it only makes sense to recommend a suitable mattress for your family. And what’s better than this all-foam mattress by Emma that offers impeccable comfort for all sleeping positions, stays cool throughout the night, and ensures no motion transfer?
Not to forget, the brand offers a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty to back your purchase. So, you get plenty of time to sleep, canoodle, and play pillow fight on the Emma Comfort Mattress, and then decide whether it is the right fit for your family. If not, the brand will pick it up and offer a full refund.
If done with precaution, parents can very well avoid the risk of SIDS while co-sleeping. So, clearly, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying a slow morning surrounded by your loved ones!
However, at the end of the day, it’s your personal choice. Whether you sleep together or not, it doesn’t make you any less of a loving partner or parent.
There’s no right or wrong here. Just make sure that whatever sleeping arrangements you choose, everyone enjoys a good night’s sleep and wakes up well-rested!