-honoured method of soothing babies to sleep with a lullaby works not only for your child, but can help you to feel calm in the midst of a lengthy bout of crying. Try gently rocking your baby to the rhythm of your song or if she’s feeling energetic why not have a

Slumber is often a highly prized and rare commodity among new parents, so it’s no surprise getting your child to sleep can become an emotional affair.Take the furore created by Dr Richard Ferber, the founding director of the Center For Pediatric

they have never been taught it. Perhaps you have allowed your child to doze off on the settee or in your arms before putting her to bed for the night. Or maybe she has become reliant on the comfort of a bottle or dummy to get to sleep. As a result, she does

A is for Ambient lighting Soft lighting activates sleep-inducing chemicals called oxytocin in your child’s brain. It is not known precisely which kind of lighting activates oxytocin most successfully, but we do know that bright or harsh light

cotton jersey pyjamas and was highly commended for its sleepwear in the Junior Design Awards 2011. They are currently running a 25 per cent off all sleepwear deal, so get there quick to grab your children this bright and festive slumber wear. The Gruffalo

.See... Junior's A to Z of Sleep for our advice on helping your child to get a goodnight's sleep.

an efficient routine to get her dry, clean and back to bed with the minimum of disruption to both of your sleeping patterns. Prevent damage to her mattress by using a waterproof protector and if she is old enough, encourage your child to assist in the clean

Don’t get too excited if your four week old appears to be grinning at you – her smile is really just a reflex action, unrelated to anything she sees or hears. These ‘smiles’ normally occur during sleep.At around six weeks, this all changes and your

– children starting school can catch anything up to 12 colds a year. “A good diet, and plenty of sleep and exercise will boost your child’s defence system and provide some protection,” says Professor Ron Eccles, director of the Common Cold Research Centre

, space is the final frontier. So prepare your rockets and get ready for lift offTum Da Dum TumPlacing your baby on their back to sleep is still the safest option, but there's no better way for them to explore and play than spending time on their tummies