Understanding Child Development

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Bed-sharing during infancy was not linked to later anxiety or depression.

Children who began bed-sharing later showed a higher likelihood of anxiety.

Later-onset bed-sharing may signal emotional difficulties rather than cause them.

Many parents have shared a bed with their child at some point. Sometimes it's a deliberate choice. Other times, after a period of sleep difficulties, fears, nightmares, or life changes. Do you wonder whether bed-sharing might affect your child's mental health? Our new research offers reassuring, though nuanced, answers.

Parents often receive conflicting messages about children's sleep. Some are told that bed-sharing fosters closeness and security, while others worry it may encourage dependency or emotional difficulties. The reality may be more complex.

What We Already Knew About Bed-Sharing

Earlier, we examined whether bed-sharing during infancy was associated with children's later emotional well-being and attachment (Bilgin and Wolke, 2022; Bilgin and colleagues, 2024). Reassuringly, we found no evidence that bed-sharing in infancy was linked to poorer mental health outcomes in childhood or less secure attachment in infancy.

These findings challenged the common assumption that sharing a bed with an infant has important consequences for children's emotional development. Instead, they suggested that bed-sharing during infancy is often a normal part of family life and may reflect a variety of practical, cultural, and parenting considerations.

Yet one important question remained unanswered: Could bed-sharing mean different things depending on when it begins? A baby who routinely shares a parent's bed may not be experiencing the same challenges as a preschooler who suddenly starts seeking a parent's bed at night.

Our new study built on this........

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