Frequently Asked Questions - Sleep



Our Expert Health Visitors have answered the following questions on Sleep to aid parents of infants & children 0-5 years. Look through the questions listed below, or use our confidential online Health Visitor support service if you would like to ask your own question.



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Q My son has never been a great sleeper but his sleep has got worse recently, wanting breast feeds each time he wakes. He has a good bedtime routine and naps for 2 one hour periods a day, going to sleep in his cot on his own each time. Lots of people have told me he doesn't need night feeds now. How can I help him go back to sleep on his own during the night without feeding him every time? health visitors response

Q My 2 week old baby girl sleeps very soundly in the day but is awake most of the night. I bottle feed her as I am not producing enough breast milk. She is a Section baby. How can I get her to sleep in the night and perhaps be more awake in the day? health visitors response

Q My 2 week old baby girl sleeps very soundly in the day but is awake most of the night. I bottle feed her as I am not producing enough breast milk. She is a Section baby. How can I get her to sleep in the night and perhaps be more awake in the day? health visitors response

Q My baby sleeps well but wakes in the night for a drink, she does this every night and has to be cuddled back to sleep, she will go in her cot alone but has to fall asleep first how can I get her back into sleeping through the night again? health visitors response

Q My child won’t sleep, what can I do? health visitors response

Q Our son is sixteen months old now but he still wakes up during the night for a feed. We are working during the day and find it hard to be strong in the middle of the night so we give in by giving him a bottle because he quickly goes back to sleep. We need our sleep and it is the easiest thing to do. We know that we should not do this and would like some advice on how to stop? health visitors response

Q Our first child is now twelve months old and we are expecting our second baby in five months time. When is the best time to switch our daughter from her cot to a bed?
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Q My 12 week old son is sleeping more or less through the night but is not napping very well during the day, maybe one hour maximum at each time! How can rectify this problem? health visitors response

Q My son wakes up frequently through the night (every 30-45 minutes). I’m exhausted, how can I help him to sleep for longer periods? health visitors response

Q My 1yr old daughter has a really bad sleeping pattern she won’t go to bed unless she is asleep first and I have to carry her up then she will only sleep for about 2 to 3 hours then she is up again screaming and won’t settle back down unless she is down stairs in her pushchair but most times she stays up most of the night it is really getting me and my partner down, myself mostly as I can’t leave the room without her crying for me its like I have to be next to her 24hrs a day 7 days a week. I was just wondering weather there is anything I can do to help her sleep right through the night and to get her out of being clingy? health visitors response

Q My baby boy has been a good sleeper - from about 5 months he started sleeping from 8pm through to 6.30 am. More recently he has slept from 7.30 pm through to 8am. However, for the last 8 days his sleep has suddenly become disrupted. One recurring pattern is that he wakes up at about 1am screaming and then it takes 1 to 2 hours to put him back to sleep. We have tried comforting him (in his cot) and then, when quiet, leaving the room but he immediately starts screaming again. We have tried lying on the floor next to his cot and he eventually drifts off but will wake again an hour later, he appears to be more settled in our presence regardless of whether we are interacting with him. He does not have a temperature or a loss of appetite. He does have a mild cold but on previous occasions when he has had a cold, he has usually slept through without a problem. Would you have any advice on what may be causing the problem and any suggestions on how to resolve it (including how best to handle him i.e. not picking him up, letting him cry etc.)? health visitors response

Q My daughter has recently started asking to come and sleep in my bed because she hates being lonely. Is there anything I can do to help her overcome this feeling at night times, as I would like her to enjoy her room and be happy to sleep in there alone?
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