A mom who shares a bed with her entire family says it's "not weird at all" - but the reason they have such a close bond and get the best night's sleep. "

Cassey Bly, 29, has co-slept with her three children - aged three, four and six - alongside her husband, Forrest, 29, a wholesale distributor, since they were born after she struggled to get them down on their own.

But, six years on, the couple still snuggle up beside their brood - who are down before 9 pm every night - with the husband and the two oldest kids on one mattress and the mum and youngest on the other.

The mom-of-three says her children, Ellovie, Igzy, and Ruca, all have their own bedrooms and beds but have always opted to get into her two queen-sized beds that are pushed together to create a mammoth 6'5 x 13ft sized bed.

Cassey and her husband are adamant they have found the "perfect parenting hack for a night's sleep" - insisting they aren't ever woken in the night by their kids, who have all slept through since the age of two, and have slammed those who criticise their co-sleeping method."

The couple believes their family "shares a closer bond" because of how they sleep and that it has "made life easier." "

Cassey, a stay-at-home mum and content creator from just south of Hartford, Connecticut, US, said: "Letting my kids sleep on their own has never really worked."

"I would always have a hard time with them not next to me. "

"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 her 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 which suggest co-sleeping can lead to accidental suffocation of newborns, Cassey was "never concerned about that" as she says 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. "

As the children grew up, they simply never left - and would use their cosy bedtimes as an opportunity to spend quality time together.

The set-up now sees the family of five all in two queen-sized beds pushed together with two mattresses and duvets.

Cassey also installed a bed bridge to ensure no one falls in between the cracks of the two beds.

"I initially thought it would get harder with more kids - especially when we started running out of room," Cassey 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." "

Cassey explained how the entire family would initially all go to bed together, but as the kids got older they developed their separate bedtime between 7pm and 9pm.

The pair often stay up later to have some 'childless time' to watch TV or talk and ensure they make each other a priority.

Both parents usually wake up before their kids, at around 7am, while the little ones lie in until "they decide it's time to get up"."



Allowing her children to share a bed with her at night is something Cassey is in "no rush to give up."

She said: "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." "

Cassey doesn't care what others think about it - and says while others might see it as unusual, it works well for them.

"I can understand why people say it's weird because it's not the norm," she said."

"People think my children are older than they look and that they 'should' be in their beds because of their ages. "

"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." "

She said even if her children have bickered all day, all their issues are resolved by night-time when everyone gets tucked in and ready to rest - meaning the sibling bond is very strong.

And she also feels it's how she has managed to maintain such a close relationship with her children.

She said: "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."

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