Publication date:
17 March 2017Length of book:
184 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersDimensions:
237x158mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9781442249059
Co-sleeping—parents and children sharing a bed—can be a fraught topic for parents. Some experts recommend parents never bring children into bed with them, while other experts extol the benefits of parents and children sharing a sleep space. Given the importance of sleep to our well-being, the topic can generate such strong feelings and controversy that parents can be afraid to share their experiences.
Co-Sleeping takes readers inside the reality of co-sleeping for a diverse range of families in America, with varying family structures, races, incomes, and education levels, and with children from infants to teens. Drawing on original research and extensive interviews with real parents—both fathers and mothers—author Susan Stewart goes beyond the fads and vehement arguments for or against co-sleeping to look at what actually happens, and the impact of co-sleeping on families—for better or worse.
Co-Sleeping takes readers inside the reality of co-sleeping for a diverse range of families in America, with varying family structures, races, incomes, and education levels, and with children from infants to teens. Drawing on original research and extensive interviews with real parents—both fathers and mothers—author Susan Stewart goes beyond the fads and vehement arguments for or against co-sleeping to look at what actually happens, and the impact of co-sleeping on families—for better or worse.
This slim, interesting book reports the author’s exploratory study of the phenomenon of co-sleeping in US families. Prompted by recent media attention debating the good and bad associated with infants, toddlers, and young children sleeping with or near their parents, Stewart does not take sides. As a sociological study of everyday life, the book attempts to uncover what really happens behind closed doors. The author aims to investigate co-sleeping families’ nighttime patterns and routines, parents’ perspectives on co-sleeping with their children, how co-sleeping affects relationships with spouses and partners, and parents’ level of openness with others about the fact that they co-sleep. By incorporating lengthy excerpts of interviews and organizing results by theme, Stewart does an admirable and unique job describing families’ experiences in and of co-sleeping. The book's strengths include care in footnoting sources, a comprehensive bibliography, historical and theoretical grounding of the topic, and clear outlining of methodology….
Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries.
Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries.