Share your pearls of wisdom about babies' sleep with Pampers and you could win a £200 John Lewis voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

We’ve been asked by Pampers to find out what Mumsnetters’ pearls of wisdom are for getting your little one to sleep as much as they need.

Pampers say “Getting your baby to sleep as much as they need is the holy grail for parents, and everyone loves hearing their baby wake up in the morning with a giggle. Whether it’s teething, wind, or a damp nappy that’s disrupting those golden hours, every parent has their own tried and tested methods to help guarantee their little one has a restful slumber. Pampers Baby-Dry nappies with Micro PearlsTM stay up to 2 times drier than ordinary nappies, giving your baby the sleep they need to wake up giggling.”

Pampers are asking Mumsnetters to share their own pearls of wisdom for babies' sleep. They want you to post the useful nuggets of advice, the most valuable tips, which worked for your baby and which could help another baby to get a bit more shut-eye.

Whatever your top baby sleep tips are, Pampers would love to hear them.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £200 John Lewis voucher.

Please note your comments may be included on Pampers social media channels, and possibly elsewhere, so please only post if you're comfortable with this.

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

PS: To be in with the chance of winning a pack of Pampers Baby-Dry visit facebook.com/PampersUKIre or tweet @Pampers_UK and use #BabySleep and nominate another parent to do the same to help more babies get enough sleep! See facebook.com/PampersUKIre for T&Cs.

When babies do stir in the night try and keep them in a half awake state by keeping lights low, using white noise, not talking and moving slowly. It also helps if you use a good nappy (we use Pampers Baby Dry) so you don't have to wake them up by changing them if they've only had a wee.

Routine. Bath teeth sleeping bag lights out. Cuddle teddy and leave them too it, don't fuss.
Try and get them to have a decent nap in the day, sleep breeds sleep. Learn your child's signs of tiredness, mine is rubbing eyes, and put them down for a nap before they get overtired.

A bath before bed always helps my kids sleep better.

I think it's important to establish a consistent bedtime routine. My DDs have always had a warm bath at 7 followed by stories at 7.30 and then they are ready to sleep. I also make sure the tempertature in the room is just right and that their beds are as comfortable as possible.

I go with the 'do what works for you' train of thought. Both my children were very different, the first was a great sleeper and the second totally different. Reading a book and staying in the room while he fell asleep helped but it's all trial and error and a bit of crossing fingers at times.

A full tummy and a good dose of gripe water does the trick with my little one. DD gets terrible wind which was affecting her sleep but gripe water before bed has really helped.

Try and get into a routine, but if you're struggling just do whatever it takes for a while.
When DS was tiny, we found white noise to be a good help - it just chilled him out enough to sleep.

Both my babies would only sleep on their tummies. Put them on their backs and they would not settle or sleep at all. Turn over onto their fronts and they were Zzzzzzz!
Ds was a much better sleeper than Dd, but not on his back :) I used to play new age music to Ds too as I had listened to it a lot throughout that pregnancy. Not sure if it helped, but I didn't do it with Dd and she was awake a lot every single night. There was a big gap between the two of them and I think I'd forgotten about the music with Dd. In the end, I did a lot of co sleeping with her.

My tip would be to put your baby to sleep in the position they are comfortable in. You can always use a sleep/movement monitor if you are nervous about tummy sleeping.

I was a big fan of routine - lovely warm baths, stories, cuddles, milk and bed. Make sure you have blackout curtains and they know that it's time for sleep. And remember all babies are different so go with the flow. Don't force sleep. Be calm and your baby will be calm. A stressed parent equals a stressed baby. DS slept through the night from 4 months and DD was on and off for 5 years!

Co-sleeping isn't a crime either. Sometimes, all your baby wants is to be held and cuddled. I used to rock DCs to sleep quite often and hum a lullaby. White noise is good too (and now it is even easier with all the white noise apps you can get!). I also found baby massage was very good and helped them relax and feel drowsy.

Both mine loved their grobags which meant they weren't forever kicking covers off and getting cold, thus waking up. And remember, the sleeping does get better and soon they will be teenagers (and you'll be waking them up!).

Simple routine, in bed for 7.30. Minimal interaction in the night when they wake so they learn to sleep. So always keep it dark, quiet and calm! Even if your secretly tearing your hair out with tiredness.

warm bath, little massage perhaps, dim lighting, and regular routine.

Don't do what I did and make a rod for your own back by rocking/walking a baby to sleep unless you have to. For TWO YEARS I had to feed, rock, or walk DD to sleep both at night and every one of her naps.

Routine, so baby's learn the signs that its time to sleep & don't forget its important for them to learn to get themselves off to sleep- so picking them up and rocking them to sleep in your arms is only teaching them to sleep in your arms!

I agree about routine, routine, routine. Also when they go through regressions or difficult patches, doing lots of research online / with friends, and trying out different things. I like to be proactive rather than to despair!

Routine at the start of the night and the patience of a saint for the rest of it .

Nice snuggle blanket and lots of love and cuddles before bef

Establishing sleep "cues" worked well for ours - they knew from quite little that putting pjs on, having a story and milk meant that bed (and the expectation of them going to sleep!) would be next

A dark room, a bottle of milk and my arm around my dd so she feels safe and secure. I often stroke her head until she falls asleep. She used to be a terrible sleeper, however these days she is is much better.

Put her to bed when she's actually tired, whether that's 18:30 or 21:00

Sometimes a bath
PJs
Story
Song while bf
Cuddles to sleep

Routine is the key to good sleep. Bath time, milk and bedtime stories. A baby is never too young to listen to a story as they enjoy listening to your voice. Endeavour to put baby to bed awake, saying the same words every night, and then walk away.

Our little boy sometimes lies awake happily for half an hour chatting, and then gets upset that he's still awake. I hold his hand for no more than a minute and slowly move away from him and his room. Minimal talking.

Go to bed when the baby does and stop getting stressed about how the baby should be sleeping.

When they wake in the night don't always assume they're hungry and immediately offer milk....give them a chance to resettle themselves. When you do feed in the night make it really functional, no cuddles or chatting, then put them back awake. Oh and try to wear them out as much as you can in the daytime!

• Grobag so they won't uncover themselves and get cold in the night
• make sure baby gets plenty of fresh air/out for a walk during the day
• limit nap times in the afternoons
• double-check that the nappy is dry when you put baby down to sleep.
• lightly stroke baby's head (this used to work wonders with mine).