Couple who sleep in the same bed as their three children insist it’s the ‘perfect parenting hack’ and ‘not weird at all’

A mother-of-three, who shares a bed with her entire family each night, has insisted the setup is ‘not weird at all’ and has only brought them ‘closer’.

Cassey Bly, 29, from Connecticut, US, has three children – aged three, four and six – with her husband, Forrest, also 29.

The young couple have claimed their unconventional sleeping arrangement is actually the ‘perfect parenting hack’ that ensures their children get a good night’s sleep – adding they would ‘worry’ too much if they slept separately. 

The stay-at-home mother and content creator has also hit back at social media users who criticised them for still using the co-sleeping method – a technique in which parents opt to sleep in the same bed as their baby, rather than having them in their own cot or basinet. 

After the births of her children, Cassey struggled with getting her children down on their own before resorting to co-sleeping to help them drift off.

But, six years on, the couple still choose to snuggle up beside their brood – with the family of five sleeping on two queen-sized beds pushed up together. Cassey also installed a bed bridge to ensure no one falls in between the cracks of the two beds.

Forest, who works as a wholesale distributor, sleeps on one bed with the two oldest kids, while Cassey and their youngest take the other – with everyone tucked in before 9pm every night.

The three children, Ellovie, Igzy, and Ruca, each have their own bedrooms and, despite having their own bedrooms, remain adamant about sleeping alongside their parents. 

While most find the setup peculiar, Cassey and her husband are adamant they have found the ‘perfect parenting hack for a night’s sleep’ – explaining they are never woken up in the night by their kids, who have all slept through since the age of two.

Despite criticism, the pair believe they now share a ‘closer bond’ with their toddlers as a result of the co-sleeping technique. 

Cassey explained that ‘letting my kids sleep on their own has never really worked’, adding: ‘I’d worry about if they were breathing, is their temperature OK? – and I was like that with all my kids.

‘It just made complete sense for them to be in the bed with us.

‘They have never been fussy sleepers, who cry or whine, and since starting the “family bed”, we’ve hardly woken throughout the night.

‘It’s been one of the best parenting decisions we’ve made.’

When Cassey had her first child in 2018, she initially had her in a bassinet next to her and her husband’s bed.

However, for the first four days, Cassey struggled to sleep without her and would constantly be checking over the baby to see if she was OK.

‘It was also a convenience thing,’ Cassey said.

‘I prefer to breastfeed and to be able to just roll over with them there to feed, it was just so much easier.

‘I didn’t have to fully wake up and get out of bed to see if they were OK.

‘And I could hear and feel them breathe, which helped me get the best night’s sleep.

‘All their needs can be instantly met.’

Despite warnings that suggest co-sleeping can lead to accidental suffocation of newborns, Cassey was ‘never concerned about that’ as she made a conscious effort to follow the Safe Sleep Seven – a guideline for safer co-sleeping from La Leche League.

Some of their tips include keeping the baby at your breast – and on their back – and making sure they’re lightly dressed.

When Cassey started having more children, a boy in 2020 and another in 2021, they were ‘in the family bed from the get-go’ and the oldest never had the desire to leave.

‘I initially thought it would get harder with more kids – especially when we started running out of room,’ she said. ‘However, we built a routine and it’s just become a lot easier.

‘My husband and I still have enough alone time despite what people might think. And it has not impacted our relationship at all,’ she continued. 

Cassey shared that while the entire family would initially all go to bed together, their children now all have separate bedtimes, between 7pm and 9pm.  

Meanwhile, she and Forest often stay up later to have some ‘childless time’, when they watch TV or talk, to ensure they are still prioritisng their relationship. 

However, allowing her children to share a bed with her at night is something Cassey is in ‘no rush to give up’, with the content creator affirming: ‘I believe it’s important to have that contact.

‘It’s really understated but it means a lot to us and I know we are closer because of it.

‘I think it’s also the society that we live in,’ Cassey added. ‘If you’re a working mum, you have to put your baby down to thrive and there is a lot of disconnect.

‘However, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and for us it’s the most normal thing in the world.’

Cassey also credited co-sleeping with strengthening the bond between her children, adding that even if they have bickered all day, their issues are resolved by bedtime when every gets tucked in. 

The technique is also her secret to maintaining a close relationship with them as they get older. 

‘I wish I’d just listened to what my children needed in the first place rather than trying to fit into society and the expectations we automatically put on ourselves,’ she said. 

‘I know what I’m doing is right for my family and that co-sleeping has made us stronger.’