Bed sharing remains a contentious topic in the West, where safety concerns dominate, while in Asia, it's often seen as a normal part of family life. Families find closeness and practical solutions within their living arrangements, reflecting deep social and cultural bonds.
The Cultural Nuances of Bed Sharing: A Closer Look at Asian Practices

The Cultural Nuances of Bed Sharing: A Closer Look at Asian Practices
In many Asian countries, sharing a bed with children is a cherished tradition, contrasting sharply with Western views on the practice.
In various Asian countries, the practice of bed sharing with children is not only commonplace but often embraced as a vital aspect of family life. Unlike the contentious discussions around the topic in the United States and other Western nations, where it often raises safety concerns and social stigma, many Asian families view it as a natural expression of closeness and nurture.
Erin Lim and her husband Tommy Kim, along with their two young sons, illustrate this perspective. Living in a high-rise in Seoul, they find comfort in sharing their sleeping space, an arrangement that many in Asia deem normal. In South Korea, parents like Inae Kim opt for this arrangement to connect with their children, as one day they'll seek independence. “They want to enjoy the moment,” says Kim, who has cultivated this closeness through shared sleeping arrangements.
While Western practices encourage independent sleeping from an early age, often involving cribs or separate rooms, many Asian parents find that bedding together is conducive to familial harmony. According to anthropologist Helen Ball, historical influences shape this divergence, tracing back to the guidelines propagated by Victorian-era thinkers in Western societies.
Research indicates that bed sharing rates in Asia can reach over 60% in countries like China and South Korea, compared to 5-15% in Western countries, where parents might avoid admitting to the practice. Professor Ball notes that stigma associated with bed sharing might lead to underreporting among Western families, suggesting that bed sharing could be more common than officially recorded.
Motivations vary across the region: practical concerns like space constraints in Hong Kong and Seoul drive parents to share beds, allowing families living in high-density apartments to mitigate noise disruptions from sleep training. Further complicating the landscape, societal norms sometimes enforce the tradition—the perception that lack of bed sharing could signal a less nurturing upbringing.
Yet, attachment to these practices is not solely pragmatic. For many families, traditional bonding is prioritized over individual sleep health. As Himani Dalmia, a sleep specialist in New Delhi, emphasizes, cultural influences remain powerful—even among urban elites who might have access to Western sleeping methodologies.
In Singapore, the landscape appears slightly different, with families experiencing social pressure for adherence to sleep training. Yet, practitioners like Elaine Chow see an increasing trend of guilt associated with admitting to bed sharing, showcasing the complex interplay of cultural beliefs and modern parenting strategies.
In closing, bed sharing in Asia reflects deeper social fibers that interlace familial bonds, cultural expectations, and practical living conditions, highlighting the multifaceted nature of parenting practices across the world.