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This study examines the decisions of middle-class U.S. and Highland Mayan parents regarding sleeping arrangements during their child's first 2 years and their explanations for their differing practices. All 14 Mayan children slept in their mothers' beds into toddlerhood. None of the 18 U.S. infants slept in bed with their mothers on a regular basis as newborns, although 15 slept near their mothers until age 3 to 6 months, when most were moved to a separate room. The Mayan parents explained their practices in terms of the value of closeness with infants; the US. parents explained their practices in terms of the value of independence for infants. The U.S. families, but not the Mayan families, used bedtime routines and objects to facilitate the transition to sleep.

In many cultures, parents and children sleep together. However, in America, parents are advised that children should sleep in their own beds, that 'cosleeping' can cause many types of problems, including those affecting the children, the parents, or the relationship between parent and child. A study concerning child sleeping behavior and behavioral problems was conducted among 303 parents with 2- or 3-year-old children. The children slept with their parents at least occasionally, especially during times of minor stress or disruption of the family routine, for at least part of the night, in 55 percent of the households. Frequent cosleeping (more than once per week) occurred in 40 percent of the families and cosleeping on a regular basis occurred with 11 percent of the families. Frequent cosleeping was not dependent on the age or sex of the child, but was more prevalent among nonwhite families (50 percent compared with 21 percent in white families) and households where the mother was a single parent (45 percent compared with 38 percent when the father was present). Cosleeping on a regular basis occurred in 23 percent of the families with the mother as the single parent, compared with 8 percent in families where the father was present. There was not a significant relationship between cosleeping and child behavior problems. Cosleepers had more sleeping problems, including difficulty going to sleep, and waking up during the night. One year after the initial study, those who were still cosleeping frequently had sleep problems compared with those who were no longer cosleeping and those who never slept with their parents. Therefore, cosleeping of parents and 2- to 3-year-old children is common and not related to maladjustment of the child. However, cosleeping does seem to cause sleep problems in children. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

ABSTRACT. The author examined the effect of children's sleeping arrangements (communal vs. familial) on the extent of fathers' involvement in their children's lives and their level of satisfaction from fatherhood. [...]