Abstract

Objective: Co-sleeping is highly dependent on cultural influences. There is conflicting data on the effect of co-sleeping on children’s psychological wellbeing in the western world. However, less is known about co-sleeping and its implications on Saudi children.
Methods: Structured detailed interviews with parents in a children’s clinic, including information about the child’s age, gender, family demographics, family’s sleeping setup, and the child’s behavioral and emotional problems within the last 6 months. For this study, co-sleeping is defined as children sleeping in their parents’ room every night, either in the same bed as their parents or in a separate bed. Results: The mean age of 6.5 ± 2.7 years. Almost all children included in the study were co-sleeping in their parents’ room (99.7%) and (94.1%) of the children displayed either behavioral and/or emotional problems. Overall, (77.6%) of the parents had a graduate or higher education degree.
Conclusion: This study shows an association between co-sleeping and, behavioural & emotional problems (BEP) in Saudi children. Healthcare providers should pay attention to the reported BEP and consider assessing the parent-child sleeping setup.