Sleep

For a baby, "sleeping through the night" means 5 to 6 hours in a row, not twelve. Many get there between 4 and 6 months, but at 12 months more than one in four still cannot, with no effect on development. What helps: bright days, calm dark nights, a short routine and reassuring but low-key responses.

Over 24 hours, naps included, a newborn sleeps 14 to 17 hours; from 4 to 11 months, 12 to 15 hours (even 16); from 1 to 2 years, 11 to 14 hours; at 3 years, 10 to 13 hours. But a child who is growing, developing well and stays alert and cheerful is sleeping enough.

Sudden infant death syndrome mostly occurs before 6 months, during sleep, by day or night. To reduce the risk, put your baby on their back, alone, on a firm flat mattress with a fitted sheet, with no pillow, duvet, bumper or soft toy, in your room for at least 6 months, with no smoke and no overheating.

To get a baby to sleep, the most effective approach is a routine of about fifteen minutes, repeated each evening in the same order from the first signs of tiredness. Dim light, a calm voice, no screens: your baby learns night is coming. Falling asleep at the breast or in your arms is no fault, and they always sleep on their back.

At night, dress your baby in one extra layer compared with what you would wear to sleep comfortably in the same room, with no hat and no duvet. A room between 16 and 20 °C (18 to 20 °C in France) suits pyjamas and a light sleeping bag. To check, touch the back of the neck or chest: if clammy, they are too hot.

A newborn sleeps in stretches of 3 to 4 hours, day and night. Around 4 months, most babies take three naps, then two between 6 and 12 months, until about 18 months. Around 2 to 3 years only one is left, in the afternoon, often kept until 4 or 5. The best guide remains the signs of tiredness.