Why do we have such a hard time with night wakings?

[Mallory]

Do babies, toddlers, and young children wake to nurse as much in other countries where extended (or natural ) nursing is the norm?

And if they do do most mothers cope well with waking, or rolling over to nurse several times a night? Or are they all as sleep deprived and miserable as most moms who get up with young children in the middle of the night seem?

Why do so few of us americans deal well with waking up in the night?

Is it because when we were children we had it beat (well probably not beat, but you know what I mean) into us that to be a happy, healthy person you have to go to bed and not get up for 8 hours?

Any thoughts?

[Serenity]

I have read studies by James McKenna (maternal-infant sleep researcher) that say that infants who sleep with their mothers do wake more frequently to breastfeed and that is a good thing. I think that it must be true in other countries as well but the big difference is the extended family and other nearby people who help out with babies during the day. Unlike most American moms who have the burden of home and childcare for the most part on a solitary basis. just my .02

[Piglet68]

I agree with Serenity. I would imagine that in other cultures you don't have the phenomenon of a woman at home all by herself with children, so much to do and no help.

But I think it's a good question. I sometimes cringe when I come to this forum and see all the negative posts. Babies who are still sleeping terribly as toddlers, mothers who have just had it, hating the family bed, etc. It really upsets me (though I do feel for the poor mamas!) b/c it seems it just gives cosleeping such a bad rap (I know, I know, this is the forum for help...).

Anyways, so my thought is that maybe the women who post here are a minority of those who cosleep. I mean, we have it really easy with cosleeping, no problems, and I know many other mamas here are the same. So maybe there is an illusion that so many cosleeping families have problems. Maybe in other cultures, it's also a minority of families that have such problems, but add to that the extra support from extended family and perhaps it's not so bad.

thinking out loud here....