Many parents worldwide have a common practice of comforting their children when they have nightmares, often allowing them to share the bed for reassurance. However, if you’re a first-time parent with a child under eight, you might be wondering when it’s appropriate to transition away from this bedtime routine.
Parenting expert Mickey Mehta has addressed the debate on the appropriate age for children to stop co-sleeping.
According to him, it’s crucial for children under three to form a close bond with their parents through close sleeping proximity. Mehta suggests that co-sleeping can benefit both parents and children by synchronizing their heartbeats. However, there is no specific mention of when children should transition away from this practice.
“[A child] gets dreams of fear, phobias because [the child’s] subconscious is tender, it picks up every signal. Everything happening universally. And in the astral travel, the children cry. They s**t, they p**s,”He elaborated on this perspective during a YouTube interview with influencer Ritesh Bawri earlier this year.
“If the mother is next to the child, as the child cries, the mother soothes. Ears on the heart, and the erratic heartbeat of the child comes back to rhythm again.”
According to Mickey Mehta, by the time a child reaches their seventh birthday, it is crucial to break the habit of co-sleeping.
“Til seven, their mirror neurons are working and they are very sensitive,” he added. “They will learn everything subconsciously, when the child is asleep.”
Mickey Mehta’s statements have ignited a widespread debate. Other medical professionals have countered his claims, stating that while studies show synchronized heart rhythms in people who sleep together, there is no evidence that such synchronization is necessary for childhood development.
In response to the controversial video, pediatrician Dr. Mona Amin criticized the claims, stating, “Wow, I’ve never heard so much nonsense in one reel from a dude.”
“He’s insinuating that children bed wet because of trauma and fear and separation which is not the case. Bed wetting is common in many children due to bladder immaturity and not anxiety.”
Dr. Mona continued, “And children do not need to sleep next to their mother for seven years to feel bonded. Independent sleep is possible and developmentally typical and can actually mean better sleep for the child AND parent.”
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