Below is an exerpt from the full article which can be viewed at:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/471909_1

Sleep-Promoting Strategies
Normal, healthy sleep/wake patterns are dependent on consistent daytime and
nighttime routines that match the child's physiologic and developmental
sleep requirements. Adhering to a consistent routine in preparation for
bedtime and "lights out" time, as well as consistent morning wake time,
naptimes, and feeding/meal times, are of particular importance. These
routines help strengthen the child's circadian and homeostatic processes
and reduce the likelihood that the child will suffer from insufficient
sleep. Children thrive on consistency and routine, and if firm limits are
set, bedtime struggles will be unusual. The child's bed should be treated
as a place for relaxation and sleep. Therefore, play should not be allowed
in the bed and the bedroom should not be used as a place of punishment.
During the day, caffeine intake (ie, chocolate, tea, and cola) should be
limited, especially after lunchtime. Caffeine can delay sleep onset, reduce
total sleep time, and increase the amount of light sleep. These effects of
caffeine can last greater than 8 hours (Mendelson and Caruso, 1998 and
Roehrs and Roth, 1997). Near bedtime, active play, exercise, and
stimulating television and computer programs should be avoided. Bedtime
routines such as bathing, reading stories, and brushing teeth in a calming,
unhurried manner with a loving yet firm and consistent approach that
includes some "one on one" special time with the parent fosters security
and promotes the child's ability to fall asleep independently. If positive
interactions with parents occur at bedtime, children will often look
forward to this time rather than struggling and resisting. The bedroom
environment is also important; the child's room should be as dark as
possible, the temperature comfortable (not too warm), and noise kept to a
minimum to enhance sleep onset and maintenance. Of course, if the child
feels more comfortable with a night light, one should be provided, and many
young children enjoy the comfort of a transitional object such as a special
toy, doll, or blanket.

Co-sleeping is a topic that has sparked passionate debates for many years.
The prevailing medical opinion in the United States is that co-sleeping is
to be discouraged, despite research that is unable to clearly demonstrate
that co-sleeping is universally unsafe (American Academy of Pediatrics Task
Force on Infant Positioning assnd SIDS, 1997). This medical viewpoint
reflects American culture, which places a high value on early childhood
independence. However, co-sleeping is prevalent worldwide, particularly in
non-industrialized countries, and is recently becoming more widespread in
the United States. Between 1993 and 2000, the percentage of co-sleeping
infants more than doubled from 5.5% to 12.8% (Willinger, Ko, Hoffman,
Kessler, & Corwin, 2003), and 65% of surveyed caregivers stated that
sleeping with children was acceptable (Weimer et al., 2002). Co-sleeping
has been found to be a relatively normative practice in low-income
households (Brenner et al., 2003). Co-sleeping has also been reported to be
two to four times as common in Asian and African-American families,
respectively, as compared to Caucasian families (Willinger et al., 2003).
Given that the practice of co-sleeping is prevalent and appears to be
influenced by cultural factors, health care providers must be aware that
their recommendations should be culturally sensitive, openly discuss the
risks and benefits of the practice with parents, and include safety advice
if parents choose to co-sleep. See Table 2 for talking points for
practitioners to use when discussing the risks and safety considerations of
co-sleeping with parents.

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