Baby sleep advice from mums

Mums share their top tips for getting your little one to the land of nod

Getting your baby back to sleep

“I used to rock Jack when he woke at night but he expected it every night so he carried on waking. So I started to get him to learn to settle himself. It took a while but now if I hear him whimper I don’t go in but if he carries on I go to the door and talk to him as it’s now enough to settle him.”

Jodie Cross, 33, from Bedfordshire, mum to Emily, 3, and Jack, 6 months

Getting your baby off to sleep

“My mum-in-law gave me a great tip to get William off to sleep easily, which really works for him. I put a few drops of lavender on a muslin cloth and tie it to the outside of his cot. It fills the room with a calming smell and is far enough away so it doesn’t irritate his skin.”

Alexandra Howard, 33, from Surrey, mum to William, 14 months

“When Daniel was little we used a relaxing bedtime soundtrack at night in the background to soothe him to sleep. It was actually a cassette that the hospital gave out free to new mums, they’d recorded the fans in the maternity ward and the sound really seemed to do the trick. Very simple, but it drowned out the other noises around the house a treat.”

Nicky Ward, 46, from Devon, mum to Daniel, 3

For staying awake during night feeds

“On a few occasions I’ve found it difficult to stay awake while feeding Dominic late at night. I’ve tried lots of different things, but found using my iPhone works well. I check emails, visit websites and even watch TV programmes on the BBC iplayer. It’s a small device, so I only need one hand to hold it and it doesn’t disturb Dominic while he’s feeding.”

Marzena Currie, 35, from Bushey, mum to Dominic, 3 months

For safe sleeping

“When Evie was a newborn I worried a lot about her temperature, especially when the weather was so changeable. I was bought a Brother Max 3-in-1 Digital Thermometer, £34.99 (www.brothermax.com), which monitors the room temperature and goes into her ear. It’s totally reassured me and now I really wouldn’t be without it each night.”

Karen Indge, 41, from Suffolk, mum to Evie, 6 months