Bringing new life into the world is one of the most exciting things many parents will ever do. It comes with immense joy and the opportunity to see the world through a fresh set of curious eyes, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s also sleepless nights full of seemingly endless screaming and countless unpleasant diaper changes. So when one teen was expected to sleep in the same room as his infant brother, he decided to ensure that he could actually get some rest. Below, you’ll find the full story that he shared on the “Am I the [Jerk]?” subreddit, as well as some of the replies invested readers left him.

As wonderful as babies are, we all know they’re not a walk in the park

Image credits: relucal (not the actual photo)

So after this teen had to sleep in the same room as his newborn brother, he decided to make sure his parents’ sleep was disrupted instead

Image credits: LightFieldStudios (not the actual photo)

Image credits: ThrowRAred_unsurrre

Later, the teen provided additional info and explained why he couldn’t sleep anywhere else

“The opinion on co-sleeping often depends on cultural background”

To gain more insight on this topic, we reached out to Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Parenting For Brain, Pamela Li, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. Pamela first explained that the question of whether infants should sleep in the same room as their parents can often be a contentious topic. “The opinion on co-sleeping often depends on cultural background,” she explained. In general, children from predominantly-Asian countries are more likely to share a room with their parents than those from predominantly-Caucasian countries.”

It can also be a precaution to take to keep our kids safe. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is recommended to keep your little one in the same room as you for their first year of life, to minimize the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. On the other hand, however, 90% of SIDS cases happen within a baby’s first six months of life, so not everyone sees the necessity of keeping out little ones close by after six months. 

“Some research suggests that when parents respond less to their baby’s needs at night, the baby learns to soothe themselves,” Pamela went on to explain. “Other studies indicate that babies who sleep in the same room as their parents cry less overall.”

“Older siblings, being children themselves, do not possess the necessary skills to provide proper care or support for their younger brothers or sisters”

Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)

“While babies who sleep alone may learn to self-soothe more effectively, research also shows that these children may have a higher stress response due to not having their parents nearby to help regulate stress at night,” she noted. “This increased stress response has been linked to more behavior problems and negative emotions by the time the child reaches preschool. As a result, weighing the short-term and long-term benefits of each sleeping arrangement might be helpful.”

Pamela also says that it’s important to consider your baby’s natural tendencies and needs when determining where they should be sleeping. “When the baby’s needs and behavior align with the parents’ cultural beliefs and responses, this can lead to positive development,” she told Bored Panda. “But if there is a mismatch between the baby’s needs and the parent’s responses, it can result in issues and poor adaptation.”

“If a baby cannot sleep through the night, sharing a room with their older siblings might not be advisable,” Pamela says, in reference to this specific situation. “Older siblings, being children themselves, do not possess the necessary skills to provide proper care or support for their younger brothers or sisters. It may be too much responsibility for them.”

“Regardless of age, no babies continuously cry throughout the night”

Image credits: RODNAE Productions (not the actual photo)

“Each child is different, but regardless of age, no babies continuously cry throughout the night. Most of them eventually fall asleep, which may result from either self-soothing or reaching a state of exhaustion and collapse,” Pamela added. “In the latter scenario, these babies might learn not to expect their parents’ help and instead adopt maladaptive self-soothing methods.”

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We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this teen was justified in placing his sibling’s bed in their parents’ room? Feel free to share what you would have done in this situation, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing how babies can disrupt our sleep schedules, look no further than right here! 

Many readers assured the teen he had done nothing wrong, noting that the newborn is his parents’ responsibility

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