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Before their child is born, parents discuss many issues to raise their children responsibly. However, co-sleeping is a topic that’s rarely talked about. They decorate their rooms and furnish them as they eagerly wait for their baby’s arrival. However, once the baby is home, most plans, if not all, are thrown out of the window, and the baby moves to the bedroom, where they can be closely monitored. After all, the little munchkin can’t be expected to do things for themselves.
Everyone talks about how co-sleeping impacts the child but many times, its impact on marriage gets brushed aside. If co-sleeping has to be successful, spouses should agree and commit to some arrangements to avoid any rift in the future. If co-sleeping has significantly affected your relationship with your partner, here’s what you should know:
1. Higher Chances Of Conflicts
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With the baby so close and always between your partner and you, you’ll find yourself catering to their needs more than your own or each other. Plus, with the resultant lack of sleep, you may wake up groggy and irritated. This sour mood could seep into your conversations, both inside and outside the bedroom. When the baby is unwell or particular issues bother you, the energy around becomes negative, and emotions could run at an all-time high. The chances of conflicts are more significant, and even though you should keep your cool, you could end up blaming each other and arguing over trivial matters instead.
2. Restricts Your Intimacy
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While some couples manage to do away with their private space or experiment with the baby on the bed, many cannot. Your baby somehow seems too excited when you decide to get intimate or screams for attention every time you get closer to share a private moment. Lack of intimacy can cause your partner to feel neglected and, worse, not good enough anymore. It’s essential to keep the spice alive in your marriage, or romance could seem like a thing of the past.
3. It Sets You Up Into A Team
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If you’ve never worked together on a project before, sleeping with your baby can suddenly turn you into teammates trying to save each other and taking turns to meet the baby’s needs. To counter the lack of sleep at the same time, you’ll somehow figure out ways to help each other catch up on some sleep. If you focus on the bright side of things, you will use this as an opportunity to share the responsibilities of raising your child with care. Out of nowhere, you’ll find yourself problem-solving even when it could have seemed difficult earlier.
4. It Deepens Your Bond As A Family
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Human beings like to feel safe and secure. This is why they look for mates, raise children, and find their support network in a community. That’s a survival instinct. When you co-sleep, your partner and you will come closer as a family, especially if it’s your first child. Plus, if you are working parents, co-sleeping is a great way to sneak in time into your busy schedules for your little one, embrace and cuddle them and make them understand that you are there for them. It generates a sense of belongingness that is crucial for the baby’s emotional development and marital bliss.
5. It Could Make You More Grateful
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Co-sleeping might mean that everyone’s sleeping together, perhaps at the same time, which could be the key to marital happiness. So, despite a few squabbles and spats here and there, in the end, chances are that you will end up noticing the little things they do for you to ensure you are well-rested along with the baby. Plus, with your partner helping you out with taking care of the baby, you’re bound to feel happier and thankful for their investment in raising the little one as a team.
6. It Buys You More Time With Each Other
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When you co-sleep, you share your concerns and joys about your newborn and other life aspects. It’s their presence in the same space that allows you to confide in them and seek comfort in the fact that they’ll be with you through the highs and lows of your parenting journey. It makes you more involved in the relationship because once the baby arrives, your marriage is also dependent on how well you support each other’s decisions and goals, and bringing the child into your life was one among them.
Co-sleeping may not seem like a big deal, but it could open your eyes to many things that you previously didn’t know about your partner. You’ll discover them differently, for better or worse. It’s also important to remember that not every night would be great, so when it’s one of those days when co-sleeping seems impossible, try not to be too hard on yourself or your spouse. However, if the bad nights take a toll on your relationship, it could be time to consider opting out of co-sleeping to save your marriage. So, evaluate and decide if a family bed is suitable for you. How has co-sleeping impacted your marriage? Do share your stories with us in the comments section below!
