Child insomnia

Most toddlers will sleep an average of 11 hours each night, and make up any extra sleep they need in naps. If your baby needed a lot of sleep during the first year, he'll probably continue to need it in the second; conversely, if he needed little sleep, this trend will continue, too. Although he sleeps through the night, he'll still need two naps a day. How long these naps last will depend, as noted before, on your baby. What may change this year are the times at which he wants to take the nap. His 9:30 nap, for instance, may get later and later, until he wants to sleep immediately after lunch, at 1:30 or 2. On other days, however, he may take a nap late in the morning, but then not want another one until the middle of the afternoon. In dealing with these changes, you have to take the lead from your baby; there's no point in trying to make him sleep to order, and you'll have to accept that napping patterns will vary from day

Older babies

By the second half of the year, your baby should sleep through the night. However, there may be occasions when, for whatever reason, he wakes up. Try the following:

- Make sure that he's not too hot; if he is, remove either some covers or clothing.

- If he’s cold from kicking off the covers, use a sleeping bag, more bedclothes, or leave a safety heater in the room to provide a constant temperature.

- Check that he doesn't have diaper rash; the discomfort could wake him up. Deal with the rash immediately.

-Don't constantly go into the baby's room to check that he's sleeping well your anxiety will be more of a disturbance.

- If he’s had a nightmare, provide comfort and stay until he's asleep again. If it happens on two successive nights, look for some external reason. Are you getting excessively upset with him? Is he being watched by a new baby sitter? Is he disturbed by your absence during the day?

Wakeful babies

Some babies just don't need as much sleep as others, and, as a result, are much more demanding of their parents' time and energy. Such babies should never be left lying alone in their cots with no diversions. They should have either mobiles or "amusement centers", and should be carried about as often as possible. Put your baby in a sling as you work or move about the house. Put him in a bouncer in the doorway of the room you're in, or prop him up near you with cushions. Whatever you do, don't fret because your baby sleeps less than ever. When he's awake he's learning all the time and you'll inevitably be rewarded with a bright and eager child.

Fit into the baby's routine so that, should he establish a pattern of getting sleepy towards 11.30 and wanting a nap around noon, you will begin lunch about 11.30. He'll then be able to have a satisfying nap after lunch, and you’ll have a much less grumpy baby. Alternatively, you could wait until he wakes up before having lunch - it all depends on your baby.

About the age of 15 months, your toddler will reach a period where two naps a day are too many and one nap a day is too little. He'll happily play through the first nap but, because he can't last without sleep until the second one, he has to have a nap later than usual. This inevitably means that he's alert enough to miss the usual afternoon nap, but then needs to go to bed early. As with everything else in child care, you have to be flexible.

Until he settles into a napping routine, make sure he is having adequate rest during the day. Even if he doesn't seem to be that tired, and rushes around, eager to learn new games or play with exciting toys, it's quite easy for him to become over - tired. Keep an eye on your child and if he becomes bad-tempered or fretful, or shows a sudden lack of coordination, make sure he rests or plays a quiet game.

Whenever your toddler takes a nap, let him wake up slowly and gently. It may be a restorative sleep, but he's unlikely to wake up perfectly refreshed and active. He'll need to be cuddled and talked to quietly for 15 minutes or so before he's ready to be active again. If you have to go out after your toddler's nap, try not to leave until he has recovered his good spirits.

Bedtime routines

Your baby's bedtime routine will change this year, requiring more diverting games and more of your attention. Give your baby both. The essential thing to remember is that bedtimes are play times and happy times. Even though you may be worn out, try to be calm and relaxed. If you are not, your baby will pick up your anxiety and you may have to spend twice as long putting him to sleep as when you gave him an extra five minutes of your undivided attention.

Where your toddler should sleep?

At some time during this year, your baby may try to get out of his cot to come to you. Obviously a fall from the top of a cot could be dangerous, so either lower the mattress so that the top of the rails are out of reach, or put your child to sleep into a single bed. Specially-designed beds with safety rails are available and may be advisable if your toddler is quite small when he's first put into a single bed.