Dormir compartilhado: práticas e saberes intergeracionais de uma família camponesa

Abstract

Shared sleeping is a sleeping modality which the parents and the baby share the same bedroom or the same bed, this sleeping modality has been discussed in recent years by some scholars, however, there is no agreement on whether or not to adhere to this practice, which is criticized in the health sphere. However, nowadays there are some recomendations pointing that shared sleeping can be a protection factor against sudden death. In addition, this sleep modality that it is related to cultural and mainly family aspects. Families, especially those who live in the countryside, have a unique way of living that is intertwined with their own knowledge and traditions. Therefore, this study aimed to understand how the practice of shared sleeping happens in a rural family, through their intergenerational knowledge. A descriptive and qualitative study was carried, in which seven members of the family were invited to report on their experiences through oral history, afterwards their narratives were analyzed. The narratives show that the ―Flores‖ family have a rich history, that is full of peculiarities, and some of the members still live on farming, but there is a reorganization and effort for education where many of the grandchildren have left the countryside and have sought for others professions. The practice of shared sleeping happens in the family, it started with their matriarch over sixty years ago and still happens in this family in different ways, being justified by the ease of beastfeeding, comfort and protection of the nursing mother, in addition, it is a practice that is reframed among generations, as it has been modified. Thus, the narratives make us reflect that culture and family heritage are a way of doing/living that must be respected, and shared sleeping is a commom practice of the family, as well as other practices that are experienced and transformed over the years.