Peaceful Nights » Bedtime

QUESTION: My 9 month old baby recently got quite sick (gastro and tonsilitis) and ever since he’s been a nightmare to put to sleep. Now when I try to put him down (day or night), he starts arching his back (nearly folding himself double) and screaming.  It started while he was sick, but the doctor has checked him out and he’s fine now.  When I hold him upright he calms down, but the moment I lay him down in my arms he arches and screams. When I put him down in his cot from an upright position, he’s happy and starts playing. But the moment I hold him in a lying position in my...

QUESTION: My son's 91/2 months old. He used to sleep pretty well at night and used to fall asleep easily but recently he struggles to fall asleep by himself and cries for ages before eventually falling asleep. He'll then wake for a feed during the night and then battle to fall asleep again. He never used to struggle so much. He is teething at the moment. His first two bottom teeth have popped out. I give him pamol to help soothe the pain and discomfort, but he still struggles to fall asleep. My partner and I have been trying to leave him to cry it out and then check on him periodically. I just...

QUESTION: I have a 5month old baby boy. He's only on formula at the moment and will be starting solid foods next month. He sleeps well at night only waking up once in the early hours of the morning for a feed. My problem is i need to get him out of the habit of being rocked to sleep, ive started by now putting him down when he is just about to fall asleep. He will not suck a dummy and only somtimes uses his teddy for comfort. How do i teach him to self sooth and fall asleep by himself without the screaming and crying. Please help as im sure once he's learnt that skill we will be a happier...

Many of the common baby bedtime mistakes parents make, are carried through to toddlerhood. Whether your toddler’s sleep issues have always been there, or whether they are a new phenomenon, with a bit of work and perseverance, they will soon be a distant bad memory! Ann Richardson, author of Toddler Sense, discusses the common bedtime mistakes we make when our children are toddlers. The toddler years are fraught with sleep disruptions. If you are battling to get your toddler to settle at bedtime you are probably making one of the following bedtime mistakes: 1. Extended awake times and misinterpreting...

As a parent, one of the biggest issues we have to deal with is getting our babies to sleep peacefully. If your baby does not sleep well, they can be difficult to cope with when they are awake. Ann Richardson points out some of the most common mistakes we could be making at babies bed time. Baby Bedtime Mistakes Most people take sleep for granted, but for many parents of young children who are sleep deprived, the word torture takes on new meaning! Sleep is vital for our physical and emotional wellbeing. It promotes the secretion of growth hormones, restores brain processes, and allows us to function...