A MESSAGE FROM JAMES MCKENNA

by Doctor James McKenna, Ph. D

"Just as we have rediscovered the benefits of nursing, so too, we predict in the next ten years we will discover the benefits of the other half of it, infant-parent sleep contact and proximity..... The practice of infants and children sleeping beside their parents is found in the great majority of contemporary world cultures. In fact, parents and children sharing the same sleeping place was common for all peoples, including all industrialized countries up until about 200 years ago. The question should not be: should I sleep or not sleep with the baby? A better question is: how can parents and infants safely and comfortably benefit from sleep proximity with one another? From the standpoint of the infant, any form of sensory contact, however limited, is better than none. Research suggests that infants should sleep in the context of family activities and not in an isolated room."

The Arm's Reach® CO-SLEEPER® brand bassinet represents an appropriate compromise for parents who are unsure whether or not they can provide a safe bedsharing environment for their infants. Mother and baby can enjoy close proximity, which maximizes breast-feeding; and/or important sensory exchanges between the mother and infant, and this side-by-side arrangement maximizes parental mentoring and nighttime interventions.

Read about 21 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Infant Sleep, Breastfeeding, Cosleeping, SIDS prevention, Safe Cosleeping, Safe Bedsharing, Dangerous Bedsharing, and the Development of Independence In Relationship to Sleeping Arrangements by Dr. James McKenna Ph. D