NB – this page is not yet suitable for public use

Parents often long for the time that they baby “sleeps through the night”.  It is one of the things family and friends ask about – and it is easy to feel bad if it is not happening yet.

In fact, nobody sleeps through the night.  Studies show that even adults wake several times during the night.  The difference is that we can settle ourselves back to sleep without help.

But babies can’t.  They call out at night because they need us to help them back to sleep.

So please don’t feel bad if your baby is still doing this.  It does not mean anything is wrong with you or your baby.  Most babies who signal at night are in good health.

But we can help babies gradually build the skills to settle themselves.  And also, if you are having to be up for work early, then the less your baby wakes you, the less tired you will be.

Unfortunately, this is a controversial area.  Some experts suggest “controlled crying”, which essentially means leaving the baby to cry until they go back to sleep.  Many parents find this difficult to do, and some experts are concerned it may make babies less secure.  An alternative is…