trista sutterI used to think parents fell into two categories: co-sleepers and not co-sleepers.

But there's a whole other category, highlighted by one-time Bachelorette Trista Rehn Sutter in a recent Tweet:

"fave part of day = taking a nap w/ my sick baby boy. we made it a rule 2 never sleep w/ our kids, but 2day seemed like the perfect exception"

Sutter and husband Ryan, it seems, fall into the "saves co-sleeping for sick kids" category.

Trista? I'm right there with you hon.

We gave up on co-sleeping very quickly after my daughter came home from the hospital. One night I nursed her and then had to go to the bathroom badly -- when she was still wide awake, although done eating. I leaned over and asked my husband to keep an eye on her while I ran downstairs, to which he answered, "OK."

By the time I got back upstairs, he was sound asleep.

It wasn't his fault; these were those early days of being so exhausted the two of us caught sleep where we could. But it scared me enough that I refused to allow her to sleep anywhere but in the bassinet beside my bed.

As she moved into the toddler years, she had a few nights where she wanted to sleep in our bed and I said OK, only to suffer through much of the night with little sleep because of her habit of windmilling in her sleep (arms flailing, body turning).

But when she's sick, I set aside my discomfort and let her sleep with us because it's all about her.

It turns out the majority of parents who co-sleep at any time are doing it to "comfort their kids." According to one survey, as much as 79 percent of parents gave that as their primary reason.

Ironically, almost as many -- 69 percent -- of parents say it interferes with their own sleep.

It sounds like Trista managed to get some shut-eye with 3-year-old Maxwell. Good for her -- we all know what it's like to be exhausted on top of caring for a sick child.

Do you sleep with your kids when they're sick?

 

Image via Splash News