Is there an age when bed sharing becomes problematic or weird?
In a Western culture, where independent sleep is prized, many parents worry that bedsharing past a certain age must be weird, or problematic. This is not something that is a concern for parents in many other parts of the world. If we look at human history, we soon discover that the concept of independent sleep for children is a very new one, and is limited to particular parts of the world.
In many countries, and for much of human history, sleep looked more like this:
Baby - 2 or 3 years: breastsleeping with mum & possibly others.
2/3 - 8 years: bed sharing with grandparents or older siblings making room with mum for a new baby.
8+: bed sharing with siblings. Taking on the role of the carer for younger children.
Even today in countries like Japan and the Scandinavian countries, it is quite normal for a child to only move to their own bed and room around age eight through to the onset of puberty.
Bedsharing Beyond Infancy: The Question of Independence
The West’s Strange Relationship to Babies and Sleep
Guest Post: The gentle African way to your baby sleeping through the night