Frequent waking

Babies are creatures of habit. Whatever your baby is used to when he falls asleep in the evening, he will probably also need to get himself back to sleep when he wakes at night. So avoid rocking him, walking him up and down or taking him for a drive in the car unless you’re happy to repeat these things in the early hours of the morning!

Instead try to:

• Make your night-time visits to your baby as quiet and unexciting as possible
• Don’t turn on the light when you go in to him; leave a dim night light near his bed
• Avoid changing his nappy at night after the first few weeks unless you have to because it is dirty
• If you are trying to help him learn to fall asleep on his own, do not pick him up out of his cot. Instead pat his back and reassure him, but do not offer him a drink or a cuddle

Some babies learn to go back to sleep within a few nights, others take several weeks, but it will work.