PORTLAND (AP) – Forget the argument over whether babies are better off in their own bed or in their parents’ bed. The important thing is that there’s a consistent bedtime ritual, say researchers at the University of Maine.

A study shows that playing “musical beds” over the first year of a child’s life can lead to crying and sleep problems, the researchers say.

An infant who sleeps with parents but is taken to her crib later in the night may be disoriented upon waking up in a different place.

“If they wake up, it’s dark and they can’t see the parent’s face,” said Dr. Michio Fukumizu, a pediatric neurologist and visiting UMaine professor. “Some children feel anxiety because they cannot access their parents easily.”

In that way, infants behave not unlike adults, says Fukumizu’s research partner, Marie Hayes, a professor of psychology. “When we go to sleep, we tend to be in the same place, even on the same side of the bed,” Hayes said.

It may seem like common sense to follow a routine, but the researchers who published their findings in the journal Pediatrics say their work represents one of the first times extensive data has been compiled to back it up.

The researchers analyzed survey results from parents of nearly 500 infants, toddlers and children at a well-baby clinic in Fukumizu’s native Tokyo.

Fukumizu says he set out to help children have less fitful sleeps because those with persistent sleep problems have been found to be more likely to have behavior problems. But he also wanted to help parents.

“Mothers are now usually working in Japan and they are suffering from sleep deprivation very much,” Fukumizu said.

Hayes says the findings in Japan easily translate to Western society, where bed-sharing with infants has become increasingly part of the mix. Though some parents worry about the small risk of accidental smothering, the practice is largely seen as a safe bonding tool and convenient way for a mother to breast-feed.

Some parents such as Molly Lee of Portland only co-sleep with their infants. Her 4-month-old daughter has never slept in a crib. “We don’t even own a crib,” Lee said.

Though the researchers would commend Lee for her consistency, they also note that for many children sleep site makes no difference at all.

Fukumizu said consistency is most critical with infants who show signs of anxiety – for instance, the baby who shies away from a stranger.