Babies and sleep

All babies need to sleep so that they can grow and develop. But every baby’s sleep pattern is different – for every baby that sleeps through the night, there’s another that doesn’t!

If your baby isn’t settling well, there are some simple steps you can take to help encourage a more peaceful night’s rest:

• Keep lights low while feeding at night;
• Talk and sing in a soft voice – so baby starts to see a difference between day and night;
• Start a simple bedtime routine - bath, feed, bed;
• If you can, try to always to put your baby in her cot (or moses basket) so she associates it with bedtime;
• Have 'wind down' time after any play.

Your baby can sleep safely if you follow some useful guidelines, based on reducing the risk of cot death, or SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome):

• Place your baby on her back to sleep;
• Place your baby in the 'feet to foot' position so there's less chance of her slipping down beneath the bedding;
• No-one should smoke in the same room as your baby;
• Do not use a duvet, quilt or pillow until your baby is over one year old;
• Keep your baby's head uncovered indoors (or whenever you go into warm places);
• If your baby is unwell, seek medical advice straight away.

For more information see The National Childbirth Trust or The Foundation for The Study of Infant Deaths.