#Childrensleep

Bed-sharing remains a common practice in Thailand and much of Asia, shaped by culture, family cohesion, and practical living spaces. In many Asian households, the question is when children should move toward independent sleeping, not whether they should share a bed with parents. This reflects a broader contrast with Western sleep norms while highlighting local benefits of closeness and supervision.

In Thai families, bed-sharing is normalized and tied to strong family bonds. A multicultural survey from 2010 highlighted that many Asian households maintain shared sleep spaces with infants and toddlers, whereas Western data often show lower rates. While Western safety guidelines flag risks for infants under six months, Thai parents weigh the emotional benefits of proximity against hazards within their homes. Some Western figures may underreport bed-sharing due to stigma, a nuance less commonly discussed in Asia.

Bed-sharing between parents and young children, a practice often frowned upon in the West, continues to be the standard in many Asian societies, with cultural values, family structures, and practical constraints shaping distinct sleep customs across the region. Recent international reporting and research suggest that, while Western parents debate the pros and cons of children sleeping in their parents’ beds, Asian families view the question not as “whether” but “when” children should move out of the family bed, reflecting sharply contrasting expectations about parenting and child development.