Research has shown that sharing a bed with parents is not likely to affect children’s psychological growth. The study involved nearly 17,000 infants from Britain, tracking their development over an 11-year period, revealing that children who slept in the same bed as their parents were both happy and healthy.
Recent research indicates that parental bed-sharing does not significantly influence children’s psychological development.
Conducted by the University of Essex, the study observed almost 17,000 British babies over the course of 11 years, finding that those who shared a bed with their parents were generally content and healthy.
Dr. Ayten Bilgin from the Department of Psychology found no link between bed-sharing at the age of 9 months and any emotional or behavioral issues in childhood.
This practice has sparked debate, as some experts believed it could adversely affect a child’s development.
Conversely, others argue that it benefits both parents and children by making nighttime feeding and waking easier.
Dr. Bilgin commented, “Even with the ongoing discussions regarding possible long-term risks and advantages of bed-sharing, scientific research on this subject is quite limited.”
“Parents can feel assured that if bed-sharing is done safely, it is unlikely to adversely affect their children’s emotional and behavioral development.”
“Many parents feel guilt and shame regarding bed-sharing, but it remains a personal choice.”
This study, published in Attachment and Human Development, utilized data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, which tracks the lives of 16,599 children born in the UK.
Parents provided information about bed-sharing at 9 months old, and reported on their children’s internalizing behaviors—such as symptoms of depression and anxiety—and externalizing behaviors like aggression and hyperactivity, when the children were 3, 5, 7, and 11 years old.
