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?

A Your baby's sleep pattern, from what you describe, is a normal one. The sleep pattern changes as the baby gets older and they nap less during the day. The following table is the normal pattern from birth to five years old. It indicates the total sleep pattern of which some sleep will be in naps:

Your baby's requirement is about 13.75 hours. If your baby is sleeping 10 hours at night with three hourly naps during the day, there is no reason to change anything.

Because your baby is now more alert during the day spend the time he is not napping, playing with him. Singing songs with actions will make him laugh and also nursery rhymes are good fun. Babies of this age respond well to face-to-face games such as 'boo', that is a single action. Finger and Tickle games are also good eg. 'round and round the garden' or 'this little piggy' and don't worry that he does not fully understand to begin with because if you are having fun he will enjoy it. There are many nursery rhyme books available from bookshops or from www.amazon.com

Around this time there is a shift towards play with objects because he is now able to see things in focus. Playing with small toys that he can easily grasp and with squeaky toys will encourage him to focus his attention on the object. Joining a mother & baby group is also a good idea because you will get support from other mothers and be able to compare notes and share ideas. Your Health Visitor will be able to give you information about groups in your area.

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