As I fell asleep last night I thought about this:  We have an extra bedroom
in our house.  The bed in that room is said to be quite comfortable, and
yet I've never tried it.  The truth is, I like falling asleep with my
husband.  When I first go to bed, and when I wake up in the middle of the
night (as I do nearly every night of my life), I like snuggling close as I
drop off to sleep again.  If newborn babies are "supposed" to sleep alone,
shouldn't a 38-year-old woman be "supposed" to sleep alone, and not "need"
to cuddle?

Shouldn't I therefore move into the other bedroom immediately and
permanently, and never sleep with my husband again?  (Well, as if he would
let me...but just for sake of argument.)  By this argument, shouldn't all
couples--young or old--split up and sleep in separate rooms, to avoid
dependency?  Would they do it?  How far will people go, to conform?  How
can I put this nicely to people who think co-sleeping means a BAD
dependency when it involves babies?

I imagine all of the houses in my neighborhood, filled with families whose
members all sleep alone in his or her own room--like a monastery, each monk
with his own cell.

Arly Helm                                       [log in to unmask]