How Old is Too Old to Co-Sleep with Parents?

Couple shares bed with daughters 6 and 12. How old is too old to co-sleep with parents?

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Brandon and Meagan Deal never dreamed they would be co-sleeping with their 12-year-old daughter, McKenzi.

“It started back when McKenzi was a baby. She had low birthweight and we wanted to keep a close eye on her,” Brandon, 32, tells TODAY.com. “And then it just sort of stuck.”

Recently, Brandon shared a TikTok video about his family’s sleeping arrangements.

In the now-viral clip, Brandon, who lives in Alabama, explains that he shares a king size bed with his wife, Meagan, and their 6-year-old daughter, Sarah. McKenzi has a twin size bed pushed right up against theirs.

After giving followers a tour of their shared bedroom, Brandon asks McKenzi why she likes bunking with her Mom and Dad.

“I don’t know,” the sixth grader replies. “It’s a little safer.”

McKenzi is deaf and removes her cochlear implant at night.

“At that point, she can’t hear anything and it’s an eerie feeling for her,” Brandon says, while chatting with TODAY.com. “Sometimes she’ll wake up and check to make sure we’re there.”

“We have a fire alarm for deaf people but what if it didn’t work? I would never forgive myself,” Meagan says. “I don’t make McKenzi sleep in our room, but I’m definitely not going to force her out.”

Getting alone time is not an issue for Brandon and Meagan, who note that their girls are typically fast asleep by 8 p.m.

“That’s like four hours before we go to bed, right? And we have the whole rest of the house. It’s not as if we’re a one room house,” Brandon says.

 

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