All babies are different of course and they tend to need more sleep the younger they are. Here are some guidelines:
0-6 Weeks
Babies of this age tend to sleep for 15 -18 hours in a 24-hour period. This sleep is closely associated with feeding, and your baby will spend these early weeks in a milky dozy state.

6 weeks – 3 or 4 months
By this stage many babies are beginning to sleep for longer periods and to feed less often. It is usual for a baby of about 8 weeks old to sleep for 6 hours at night without waking for a feed, although many babies have managed to do this earlier and some will be a little later.
Her total sleep requirement may have dropped slightly, to between 14 and 16 hours per day but sleep will be becoming deeper and lasting for longer periods.

4-6 Months
By now it is likely that she will be sleeping for between 6- 10 hours at night, with 2-3 daytime naps. This should total about 14 -15 hours.

6-12 Months
Your baby requires 13- 14 hours sleep in a 24 period. This is usually made up of a night-time sleep of 10-12 hours plus a morning and afternoon nap. No longer needs a night feed.

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During sleep, babies are able to grow, both mentally and physically. Their energy levels are restored and, as with adults, they are more likely to be cheerful and reasonable during the day as a result.

There are no clinical trials done on babies to assess the effects of sleep deprivation, because of obvious ethical reasons. It makes sense, however to assume that babies are likely to suffer the effects of sleep deprivation to some extent at least in the same way that adults do. These effects include irritability and susceptibility to infection.

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When your baby is very small, she is unable to maintain her body temperature by shivering or sweating. It is very important that you maintain a safe body temperature for her. Her bedroom should be kept at 18 degrees C [63 degrees F] Bedding should be light and cotton and her head should not be covered.

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Believe it or not, studies have shown that babies brains show activity in the dream region even whilst they are in the womb!

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Babies learn the difference between night and day at around 2-3 months old. Newborn babies do not automatically recognise bedtime. Their sleeping time is divided more or less equally between night and day. As your baby matures however, she will begin to take the majority of sleep during the night and nap for shorter periods during the day. This process is usually achieved by the third month, if not before.

There are a number of factors which influence your baby’s biological clock. She has her own internal circadian clock, which is situated in an area of the brain known as the hypothalamus. This helps her to distinguish between night and day. The circadian clock does not work alone however; it needs external clues such as light and darkness, noise levels and mealtimes. It also responds to conditions within your baby’s own body, such as temperature, hunger and certain hormone levels.

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Not really, no. You need to be sure that the babtyis ready to drop night feeds first of all. If she weighs around 14lb or more and/or is 6 months old, the chances are that she is ready to go through the night without a feed. The best way to encourage this is by making sure that after the age of 3 months, she does not fall asleep over her bed time or night time milk feeds. This way, she will not develop a dependence on feeding to sleep.

From around 4 – 6 months, when the sleep cycles are established, it is perfectly normal for your baby to wake in the night several times. Many babies of this age still take night feeds – not for nutritional need but as a means of settling back off to sleep!

A little water can be given to encourage re settling, but only in a baby who is ready to go without a night feed and only if you discourage her from falling asleep over the water.

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In these precious but exhausting early weeks, sleep is very closely involved with feeding. For many new born babies, feeds can be as often as every two hours. Try keeping a simple diary, so that you get a clear picture of her sleep habits and are able to spot any emerging patterns. Babies of this age also need to be held and cuddled a lot. It can feel really overwhelming at first, but this intense care does not last for long. Most babies begin to sleep for longer night time periods at around 6 weeks old, so in the meantime you should go easy on the housework, recognize that what you are doing is a great investment in terms of your child’s emotional and physical health, and as far as you possibly can, try to rest whenever your baby is sleeping.

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Sleep training should be a natural process that starts with your baby is noticing the difference between night and day. You can encourage this from very early on by allowing your baby some time outside in the daylight and by lowering the lighting levels in your home in the evening. With a newborn baby your priority should be feeding, cuddling and bonding and if you get that right, you will lay the foundations for good sleep. A simple bedtime routine can be introduced in the first few days and your baby will soon recognise this series of familiar steps this familiar series of steps leading up to bedtime.

In addition, when your baby is calm and sleepy, you should help her to fall asleep in the crib without being rocked or fed, as this will really help to develop independent sleep skills. Do not, however leave a new baby to cry alone if he or she sounds in any way distressed.

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Provided that you return frequently to reassure him that you are nearby, your baby will come to no harm. You need, of course, to be sure that he is clean, comfortable and fed before you do this. The key is to keep your visits frequent and brief. Spend no more than a few seconds briefly repositioning, checking and reassuring him. Your calm and confident manner will comfort him more than staying for a lengthy period and leaving. You should not leave a baby to cry for more than 20 minutes without attending to him [however briefly]. Expect your baby to take an hour or more on the first night to learn how to self settle, but if you are resolved and consistent, this period will reduce dramatically and most babies will sleep through after just 3 nights.

Teaching a baby how to self settle should always commence at the start of the night. If you rock or feed your baby to sleep at bedtime and then try to leave them to self settle at 3am, it just won’t work!

If you or your baby find the controlled crying technique too stressful, you should try an alternative such as gradual withdrawal.

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Yes there is, and although it may take a bit longer, it will be just as effective, so long as you are resolute and patient.

Introduce a consistent bedtime routine up to an hour before her usual settling time. Don’t worry if this is very late in the evening. It is best to go with her natural pattern at first, and then gradually bring her bedtime forward. After her bath, give her a feed but do not allow her to fall asleep over the milk. Wind her well and then place her in her cot whilst she is awake but sleepy. Remain beside her, patting and shushing until she goes to sleep. She will cry, but she is ok – just tired. You know that she is ready for sleep and sleep WILL come at this time.

When she wakes in the night, feed her if she needs it and then place her back down whilst she is awake again. Comfort her as you did at the start of the night until she goes to sleep. By helping your baby to settle in her cot without being rocked or fed to sleep, you will teach her independent sleep skills without the need to leave her alone to cry.

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Start a little bedtime routine, shortly before you know that she is due to sleep for the night. After having her bath and clean nightclothes on; breastfeed her sitting in a chair next to her cot. Do not allow her to fall asleep at the breast. After she has fed but is still awake, hold her close and wind her well. During this time, sing a familiar gentle song that she will come to recognize as a sleep signal and then place her into her cot whilst she is sleepy but awake. She is very likely to cry, as all of this will be new to her but she will be reassured by your calm and quiet manner. There is no need to leave her on her own; in fact it is much better if you remain comfortingly beside her. This way, she will learn that her cot is a safe place and will very soon enjoy having her own space [as will you.]

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At six months old, provided that your baby is healthy, gaining weight nicely and has started on solid food, he does not need night feeds for nutritional purposes. At this delightful age, however, many babies begin to feed more often at night than they did when they were newly born! The reason for this is that a very strong association between feeding and going off to sleep can develop. This means that during wakeful periods of the night time sleep cycles, your baby may cry for a feed in order to re- settle. He may even feed very vigorously, but this does not mean that he is necessarily hungry. The solution is to stop your baby from feeding to sleep at the beginning of the night. Try reading a goodnight story after the feed instead of before it. During the night, reduce each feed and place your baby back into the cot whilst he is still awake. You will encounter plenty of protest at first, but if you are calm and resolved you will soon help your baby to drop these unnecessary feeds and enable you both to enjoy a good night’s sleep.

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Even if your baby decides to sleep on her tummy, you should still place her onto her back to sleep at the start of the night. If, when you check on her she has rolled over, you should gently turn her back. The FSID in their guidelines say that parents needn’t be checking all night however.

If she rolls over and gets stuck, she will cry and let you know, so you can re position her. This developmental stage of rolling over and not being able to roll back lasts for a very short time, thankfully. By the age of six months, most babies are able to confidently flip from side to side.

Once your baby is able to do this, you can relax a little about what position she chooses to sleep in.

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It is not at all unusual for a baby to gently and rhythmically snore during sleep, as they have such tiny nasal passages. These passages easily become congested especially during episodes of teething or colds. A humidifier will help to relieve a stuffy nose.
Snoring can also be a sign of allergies. If you have allergies in the family or suspect that your baby may be allergic, you should do your best to keep the room free from dust and pet hairs. Prescribed anti histamine medicine may help.
Sometimes snoring can be a sign of a more serious problem, especially if it stops and starts and if your baby seems to pant or gasp during sleep. This might be a sign of a condition called “obstructive sleep apnoeia” and is often caused by swollen adenoids or tonsils.
Snoring very often affects a baby’s ability to sleep peacefully, so whatever its cause, it would be sensible to seek advice from your GP.

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You need to leave around three hours after her waking from the last daytime nap before beginning a calming bedtime routine. After this, place her into her cot whilst she is still awake and remain beside her, gently patting or stroking her until she gives in to sleep. She is very likely to cry at first and it may take her longer than ever to settle, but her crying will be protest at the change - not a feeling of being abandoned. After two or three nights of settling her in this way you should gradually move away from her and limit the amount of physical contact you have with her. Within a week you should aim to put her into her cot awake and quietly potter in and out of the room as she settles herself to sleep. Investing your time in teaching her good sleep skills rather than spending hours rocking her to sleep will benefit you both greatly.

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When babies are very tired they tend to become over active and irritable. You might need to bring your bed time forward a bit to prevent this from happening. The best way to help a baby wind down before bedtime is to start a calm, loving and consistent bedtime routine. A good routine provides a baby with a familiar series of steps leading up to bed time. These individual steps tell your baby that sleep time is coming soon and will help him to feel safe and sleepy. A warm bath, followed by a milk feed and a familiar song or story will calm him and prepare him for a good night’s sleep. Remember that babies find familiarity and repetition very comforting.ng.

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In the early days, waking during the night is very closely associated with feeding, but by six months, as long as your baby is healthy and gaining weight, and doing well with weaning, she does not nutritionally need a night feed anymore. The problem is probably that your baby is waking up - which we all do, naturally, during the night - and is crying for her milk not because she's hungry, but as a way to re-settle. If she's used to falling asleep on your breast or a bottle, it's the only way she knows how. The answer? You need to make sure your baby doesn't feed to sleep at the beginning of the night. Always put her in her cot awake and, during the night, gradually reduce each feed and place her back to her cot whilst she is awake. You'll no doubt encounter a good deal of protest at first, but stick with it and this should eventually discourage her suck-sleep connection.

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Comfort blankets and toys are known as “transitional objects” and as the name suggests, can be very useful in helping babies and toddler make the transition from awake to asleep. They also help little ones feel more secure when separating from parents – at the nursery or crèche for example. Because a comforter helps a child to feel safe, calm and happy, its use should not be discouraged, no matter how grubby and worn it looks. If your child has a comfort object it is a healthy sign that they are growing up and learning how to cope with their independence.

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t least half of all babies and toddlers have a comforter, and most will choose their own object at around 6 months old and their need for the comforter is at its greatest between 18 months and 2 ½ years old. Babies tend to choose items with a soft texture and a familiar smell, such as a pillow case, soft toy or even mummy’s nightie! If your child doesn’t choose something of their own accord, there is no need to encourage it.

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Most comfort objects will not pose a danger if taken into a child’s cot as a sleep aid, but parents should discourage anything with a ribbon or cord on it measuring more than 30cm or any toy with parts that could be chewed or sucked off and choke a child [a teddy’s eyes or nose for example.] Small blankets, muslin squares, pillow cases and so on, made from natural fibres can be considered to be safe, as a child can breathe through them.

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Unlike dummies, comfort objects seldom get lost during the night and need finding and replacing. The main problem is if the object gets lost or left behind somewhere. If this happens it can be very distressing indeed for a child. For this reason, if you notice that your child is forming an attachment to a particular object, you should try and get hold of another identical one. Alternate their use so that each becomes equally worn and also so that one can be washed whilst the other is being used.

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The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths recommends that babies should sleep in the same room as you for the first 6 months. If you have established a good bedtime routine by this time, the transition to baby’s own room should be relatively easy. This is because following a familiar series of steps leading up to bedtime not only lets babies know that sleep time is coming, but also help them to feel safe. Try to keep as many familiar bedtime associations as possible, such as comforters, songs and spoken rituals and if possible, keep the same cot. The first time you put your baby into his own room, you need to do so with confidence, but also be prepared to spend extra time popping in and out of the room if necessary to offer him a little reassurance.

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You need to realise that cot death, despite being parents’ worst fear is in fact extremely rare – especially after the age of one year. For reassurance and up to date information on how to reduce the risk of cot death, you should contact The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths – www.fsid.org.uk

It is fine and perfectly safe for you to have moved him into his own room at this age. Naturally, it is more difficult now for you to control the position that he sleeps in, but remember that he is much less vulnerable now than he was when he was tiny.

Positive steps that you can take towards safe sleeping at his age are:
• Do not allow anyone to smoke anywhere in your home.
• Keep his bedroom at around 16 -18 degrees centigrade and make sure that his bed clothes and covers are warm but light. [Natural fibres are best.]
• Avoid having him sleep in your bed with you – especially if you are extremely tired; on any medication which might cause you to be sleepy or have been drinking alcohol.
• If you think he is unwell you should seek medical advice promptly.

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Most babies are naturally early risers. Putting your baby to bed later in the evening is unlikely to make a difference to the time that he wakes in the morning. This is because he is “programmed” by both internal and external wake up triggers.

You need to take an honest look at your baby’s over all sleep ability. If his early waking is part of his generally poor sleeping skills, you should concentrate on teaching him to fall asleep independently at the start of the night and on removing any incentives for night time waking, such as a dawn feed or transfer to your bed.

Aim at first for a 6am getting up time [you can always extend this later when his sleep skills improve.]When he wakes at 5am, keep him in his cot and either stay beside him or keep popping in and out to briefly reassure him. If he manages to go back to sleep you should allow him to wake up naturally in his own time. If he stays awake until 6am you need to open his curtains before getting him up. This visual time clue is very important for babies, who obviously are not yet able to tell the time.

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Early waking is a very normal aspect of toddler-hood and, although it's one of the trickier sleep issues to tackle, there are some solutions. Putting her to bed later rarely works - she'll just wake at 5am anyway, and probably be grumpier because she's tired, plus it cuts into your evening. Instead, when she wakes up, go to her and explain it's not 'proper morning' yet, Get hold of a sleep training clock [such as the Gro clock] and set a getting up time - start with 5.30am and extend it by 5 minutes every few days until you reach an acceptable time to start the day. Leave her with a few quiet toys - nothing too stimulating. If she cries, go back every five minutes to reinforce your message. When the clock signals that its time to get up, open the curtains to show that the day has begun and give her lots of praise and a reward, like a sticker on her pyjamas, for staying in bed.'

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Many parents of two to three-year-olds find their toddler drop their naps when they're not quite ready to. If she gets upset when you try to put her to sleep, why not try having some 'quiet time' instead? Turn off the TV or any music, cuddle up on the sofa and read a book or listen to a story tape. Perhaps give her a special blanket to snuggle under, as part of her day-time ritual. If she nods off, put a little treat next to her for when she wakes up - the reward should encourage her to look forward to her day-time nap. And even if she doesn't sleep, it should be a brief interlude of peace and quiet for your both to recharge your batteries.

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Nightmares usually occur in the second half of the night, when your toddler is in a deep, dream sleep. They're completely normal - 70 per cent of children have them - and are nothing to worry about; children do grow out of them. When he wakes up go to him and give him a brief cuddle and some calm reassurance. Try not to reinforce any fears by involving yourself in checking under the bed for monsters etc. It is best to explain that it is a dream and is not real life.

Night terrors are slightly different; they tend to occur earlier in the night and can be scary for you, as he may cry and thrash around, but won't respond to your comfort. Unlike a nightmare, he won't remember it in the morning and although his eyes may be open, he's not awake. All you can do is stay with him until he calms down, make sure he doesn't hurt himself, and never wake him up. Neither nightmares or night terrors are necessarily a sign of emotional upset but if either of them are happening every night, your child is extremely scared or repeatedly having the same dream, talk to your GP.

Last night, I found my three-year-old son out of bed, wandering around upstairs at 9pm. When I talked to him, he just looked straight through me. I took him back to bed and he went back to sleep. Was he sleepwalking; if so, is it dangerous, and is it likely to happen again?

It sounds as if your son was indeed sleep walking. It might have been a one off episode, but don’t be surprised if it happens again. Sleep walking is common in children and is not usually associated with psychological problems. It is not dangerous in itself, provided that you keep your son safe. You need to remove obstacles and anything else dangerous from his room. Also, to prevent him wandering and falling, you should secure a safety gate in his bedroom doorway and make sure that his bedroom windows are locked.
Sleep walking can be made worse [or even caused] by lack of sleep – so do make sure that your son has a good bedtime routine and an early bedtime. You will need to be extra vigilant if he has a temperature or is sleeping in a strange place, as both of these can trigger sleep walking. The good news is that because he has developed this so young, he is very likely to grow out of it in later childhood.

For the first few weeks after my son was born, my three-year-old daughter coped well, but recently she¹s been getting out of her bed and coming into ours (our baby sleeps in a cot next to the bed). I¹m exhausted from night feeds and want her to stay in her own room, but I don¹t want her to feel rejected by me. What can I do?

First you need to settle your baby son to sleep in his cot before your three year old daughter and then have a special time with her at bedtime, reading stories and talking about her day.
Tell her that you would like her to stay in her bed all night. Consider getting her a sleep training clock which will let her know when it is morning [useful when the mornings are dark.]
You must always leave her to settle to sleep without having you in the room. This way she is less likely to seek you when she stirs during the night.
If she comes to your room in the night you need to calmly take her back to bed. You might have to do this several times at first, but she needs a consistent message from you. Don’t get cross and don’t tell her that she is a big girl – she wants to still be your baby! Do praise her when she is in her bed.
In the morning, welcome her to your bed with a big hug. Try to make sure that your baby is in his cot and that your arms are free for her alone. Do not allow her to fall back to sleep in your bed as this will give her a confusing message. If you are able to be consistent with this and remain calm and loving, your daughter will soon regain her good sleep skills and not feel rejected by you.

How can I get my 13-month-old son to sleep for longer periods than three hours at a time? I always do the night shift because I¹m still breastfeeding and although it¹s exhausting, I find the only way to get him back to sleep is to feed him. What do you think?

Your baby son no longer requires night breast feeds for nutritional reasons. He is now feeding as a sleep trigger. It is normal for babies to wake up several times during the night with the sleep cycles and because your baby knows no other way; the way that he re settles back to sleep is by feeding.
The key to helping him to sleep through lies in the way that you put him to sleep at the beginning of the night. You need to follow a consistent, loving bedtime routine and then offer him his final feed of the day. Do this with the light on and do not allow him to drift off during the feed. This might mean cutting the feed a bit shorter than usual, but it is ok to do this. Look at a picture book together [to break the milk/sleep connection] before turning off the light and putting him into his cot whilst he is still awake.
Remain beside him until he goes to sleep. This will take time and he will protest at the change, but don’t worry; he does not feel abandoned or frightened. Because it is the beginning of the night, he will go to sleep in the end.
Each time he wakes during the night, you need to go to him and once again sit and reassure him, without feeding him or getting him out of the cot.
It will take two or three nights for him to learn how to settle without feeding. You might be lucky and find that is all you need to do to stop him waking, but be prepared if necessary to spend another two or three nights reducing your contact with him both at the start of the night when he settles and during the night when he wakes. Either way, if you are consistent, and resolved, the whole process should take you no longer than a week.
One little warning – Don’t undo all the good you have done during the night, by feeding him back to sleep if he wakes at 5am!

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