long term efffects

[Heather Micaela]

We all know the benifits short-term of the family bed an AP in general. And I know the long term effect are greater attachment and stuff.

We also know the short-term negative effects of CIO. But has anybody ever studies this long term. Like how are cio - no family bed kids as teens or adults.

I am asking becuse I hav alsways had a hard time sleeping till I married DH. Now as long as there is a warm body in the bed I sleep fine. Just curious if this is a negative result of me CIO as a baby :shrug

[DogwoodMama]

I'm the same way... I had MAJOR sleep problems until college when I got a roommate (that helped for some reason), but since dh & I have been married I sleep great! It really really helps me to sleep with someone else...

I know in the African-American community co-sleeping is fairly common... when I taught undergrads, I had quite a few black students who said when they went home to visit their families they would often sleep part or all of the night with female relatives, often a grandma, and that they had done this throughout their whole life. In contrast, I think I had maybe one white student report this... At the same time, white students were also shocked by some Asian students who basically said they were going to live with their parents after college until they got married and that it was EXPECTED that they should, and their families would be offended if they didn't. (sorry a little OT but I found that interesting :)).

[MidnightCafe]

I read somewhere that CIO raises levels of stress hormones. Chronically elevated levels of stress hormones could certainly have negative affects. I'm not so sure about one or two incidents of CIO.

Interestingly, I slept with my parents or in their room until I was older than 4. They moved my bed into their room to get me to sleep in my own bed & then moved my bed into my own room once I was sleeping in it most of the time. They always let me crawl into bed with them in the middle of the night when I wanted to. I even slept with my mom when I was 17 when my dad broke his back & was in the hospital for 10 days. I always slept fine on my own (minus those times when I got into bed with my parents) & learning to sleep with DH took some time. I loved sleeping with him, but neither of us slept really, really well for the first 3 months. Now I can't sleep without him. I think I learned to feel safe sleeping in my own bed as a child. So, it was no big deal & I never really had any sleep issues.

[sadie]

del

[Radosny Matka]

I still have sleep issues. I toss and turn and toss and turn. :shrug I actually have never slept better than I do sleeping with ds in the recliner. I almost never have trouble falling asleep. I almost dread re-joining dh in bed again when the time comes.

[cannuke]

My DH is a terrible sleeper on his own, but sleeps really well so long as I'm just touching him. His family also backs this up by saying that he was a "needy baby" and always had to be held to be comforted (hmmmm, babies like to be held, what a concept! :idea ) His primary love language is also touch.

Now don't get me wrong, my IL's are wonderful people and they both just love babies. I do think that they probably let him CIO, which for him was disastrous.

Our niece (6 yo) is now going through much the same types of sleeping problems and just can't do without contact. SIL/BIL's whole bedroom is off limits to anyone but them! They have a keyed lock on the door - definitely no family bed there!

[mama2grace]

I'm not certain if my parents let me cio or not. They have said I never wanted to sleep with them, and I have no memory of wanting to, either. Now I look forward to when dh is working nights so I have the bed all to myself. :O I sleep much better without him.

You know what I find odd? The mainstream expects our babies to sleep in their own separate cribs/beds in their own separate rooms and then grow up, get married and all of a sudden be comfortable sleeping next to someone in the very same bed. :shrug

[crunchymum]

You know what I find odd? The mainstream expects our babies to sleep in their own separate cribs/beds in their own separate rooms and then grow up, get married and all of a sudden be comfortable sleeping next to someone in the very same bed.

so true! :rolleyes

[Stonebeck Farm]

I realize this is a really old question, but.....
:)
Check out what Dr McKenna reports under the a link for Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/faq.html#arrangement
Check out "What are the long term effects on my baby of sharing my bed"

How about these two studies
* In a survey of adult college age subjects, Lewis and Janda (2) report that males who coslept with their parents between birth and five years of age had significantly higher self-esteem, experienced less guilt and anxiety, and reported greater frequency of sex. Boys who coslept between 6 and 11 years of age also had higher self-esteem. For women, cosleeping during childhood was associated with less discomfort about physical contact and affection as adults. (While these traits may be confounded by parental attitudes, such findings are clearly inconsistent with the folk belief that cosleeping has detrimental long-term effects on psycho-social development.
* Crawford (3) found that women who coslept as children had higher self esteem than those who did not. Indeed, cosleeping appears to promote confidence, self-esteem, and intimacy, possibly by reflecting an attitude of parental acceptance (Lewis and Janda 1988).

edited to fix spelling

[MagnoliaMommy]

I coslept with my mom until I was about 10 or 11...then I started sharing a bed with my older sis. :mrgreen
I remember my sister and I staying up late talking on the weekends and me pestering her a bit when she was ready to go to sleep. I was probably about 13 (when I moved in with my Dad) before I finally started sleeping all alone.

[Radosny Matka]

I STILL have problems sleeping, and I'm 27!!!!!!!

[RosieTook]

Now as long as there is a warm body in the bed I sleep fine. Just curious if this is a negative result of me CIO as a baby

Yeah I am the same too, I have had a desire to sleep with someone always...I like sleeping where other people are. I LOVE sleeping with dh and even more with dd. Sleeping alone scares me. In the hospital they tried to give me some rest the first night (after the c-sec, I was frozen and couldn't have grabbed dd if she woke, so they kept her) but with no dh and an empty uterus I was a mess. I made them bring me dd after about 2 hours and that was it.

I was CIO and all alone my whole life. Now I NEED dh or dd, since I have gotten to be with them at night. :O

[RosieTook]

Oh and I slept better as a teenager when my dog was in the room. :)

[crunchymum]

In the hospital they tried to give me some rest the first night (after the c-sec, I was frozen and couldn't have grabbed dd if she woke, so they kept her) but with no dh and an empty uterus I was a mess. I made them bring me dd after about 2 hours and that was it.

I was CIO and all alone my whole life. Now I NEED dh or dd, since I have gotten to be with them at night.

((((sara)))) :hug

[herbalwriter]

I'd like to know about the long-term effects of CIO on a baby's ears - this may be a little off-subject, but I know when ds gets really worked up his nose gets terribly stuffy...and that kind of congestion and fluid can lead to ear infections. Anyone know if there's a link to ear infections and CIO, or crying in general?