Bath time is an important part of the day for new babies – it’s the time to relax and have fun with Mummy or Daddy. And it’s a crucial part of the bedtime routine, a signal to wind down and get ready for sleep, (in theory at least!).

It’s also useful in terms of establishing water confidence, plus of course there’s that lovely smell of freshly washed baby – what’s not to love about that?

If you can, sharing a bath with your baby is a great way to enjoy bath times together. When your baby is small, you can lay her on your chest and enjoy lots of skin to skin contact – not only does this promote water confidence, it’s also great for bonding.

If you’re not in the bath with your baby, here are a few useful things to remember: 

• NEVER leave your baby unattended in the bath, ever, and don’t rely on an older sibling to watch them
• Don’t ever put your baby in the bath while it’s still running – the water temperature can change or the water could become too deep
• Small babies only need a few inches of water. Support your baby’s neck and shoulders with one hand, leaving the other free for washing. Or, for extra help, get yourself one of these  fantastic bath supports
• Baby bath seats are fun for older babies, but are not a safety product – don’t leave babies unattended in one
• Use only very gentle toiletries on delicate young skin. The Creatures range is perfect – no chemical nasties and ultra mild

Of course, when you’re done splashing, you need to make sure that getting out of the bath is just as fun as getting in! Keep your little one warm and snugly, and minimise heat loss with a large hooded towel.

You probably know by now that I love the super-soft baby apron towels from Cuddledry – they’re much bigger than regular baby towels, are double layered to keep you dry too, and are made with organic cotton and luxurious bamboo fibre. The apron style also means you have two hands free to lift your baby safely out of the bath.

So if you’re investing in a good quality baby bath towel – which you may well use 365 times in the first year, I strongly recommend Cuddledry’s apron towel.   

At about 18 months, many parents agree that their toddlers sleep less well than usual for naps and at night time. In their brilliant book, The Wonder Weeks, Hetty Vanderijt and Frans Plooij refer to a development leap between 18 and 21 months, which results in what they call “fussy behaviour”. Parents have come to call this “the 18 month sleep regression”.

At around 18 months of age, toddlers are truly on the go from morning to night. No longer just walking, many are running, jumping and climbing. They are able to imitate older siblings and adults, and language development suddenly takes off with many toddlers being able to use hundreds of words (although we might not recognise them all just yet). It still surprises me a little when I ask my 18 month old, Frankie, to do something , like fetch me some socks from the drawer, and he does it without hesitation.

No wonder then, that with all this going on, their sleep is disrupted. I have found that toddlers at this age often become exhausted, waking frequently at night and struggling to nap for very long in the day.

In my experience, this is usually over within a a few months and you should then enjoy a period of calm. But when you’re in the middle of it, suffering from seriously disrupted sleep and a fussy toddler who can’t wait, won’t wait…and is just learning that he can say “no”, it’s not always easy to remind yourself that this will pass.

Something you can try which has worked for both of my boys, is increasing day time sleep. So if your toddler was already down to one nap, or having just one long nap and one short nap, then reinstating two longer ones can actually work.

For example, just over a month ago Frankie dropped his afternoon nap and was having one long sleep in the middle of the day. This was great for me because I like predictability and it also meant he was very tired by bedtime and so was fast asleep by 6:30pm. But on the 10^th August he reached the 18 month milestone and within a week I could see that he was exhausted. He was tired by 9am and although I’d keep him awake for his nap until 11am, trying to keep the routine on track, he’d be too tired to sleep well. As a result he’d be crying when he woke up and be cranky all afternoon. And then sleep really badly during the night. After 3 nights of getting up to him three of four times, I decided to give him two naps a day again. So I put him down at 9am and again in the afternoon when he seemed tired, around 2pm.

Within 2 days this worked. He was better able to manage the challenges of his development leap during the day, he napped for longer, woke happy and started sleeping through the night. I plan to leave things as they are for the next few weeks and then he will be ready to go back to one nap once the development leap is over between 20 and 21 months. I remember the same thing happening when Laurie was this age. At the time I couldn’t understand it as I was sure he should be having only one nap by then!

Given that there is so much going on for 18 month old toddlers, and this is such a major development leap, it is no surprise that they may be more tired than usual, need a little more “time out” to restore their energy, and some extra sleep so the brain has time to file, sort and store all the new information it is handling.

Not all toddlers are the same and it may not work for you, but if you’re struggling with the 18 month sleep regression, trying to increase the number and length of day time naps might just keep you sane!

“I’ve been meaning to write for ages to tell you just how wonderful I think your Sleepytot bunny is!  I’ve attached a photo of my 10 month old daughter with her beloved bunny, taking a snooze on a sun lounger on holiday!  I recommend the sleepytot to everyone I know whose baby has a dummy and have just ordered another ‘spare’ just in case!”

Blissful slumber!

Star of the blog this week is 14 month old Molly. Here she is sleeping with her Sleepytot Baby Comforter on holiday in Portugal.

Could your little one be star of the blog next week? Send your pics to lucy@sleepytot.com

Babies can’t regulate their temperatures during the first month and so it’s essential we don’t put them in a position where they can become too hot. As a general rule of thumb, you should dress your baby in one layer more than you. If you want to check her temperature, you can do so by feeling the back of her neck with the back of your hand. If she feels hot, remove a layer of clothes or bedding.

Below is a checklist you can follow to ensure your baby’s sleeping area and environment is safe so that she doesn’t overheat. All products mentioned in the checklist can be picked up in any good independent nursery shop or high street retailer. If shopping at Mothercare.com, you will find the Mothercare discount vouchers should save you some money.

1 – Your baby’s cot should have bars which go the entire way around the cot so that air can circulate freely. The advice on whether cot bumpers restrict the flow of air isn’t clear but the FSID now state that they present no risk to newborns, only babies who may become entangled in them once they are more active.

Since most babies don’t need the bumpers until they are moving around, you may as well leave it off the cot altogether.

2 – The mattress should be new, clean and firm. When pressed tightly against the side of the cot, the mattress should not leave a gap of more than 4 cm between itself and the cot sides.

3 – A fitted sheet and a baby sleeping bag will be the safest bedding for your baby as a sleeping bag will prevent blankets from accidentally covering your baby’s face. Look for the tog rating on your baby’s sleeping bag. During the summer months, a 0.5 or 1.0 tog rating will ensure your baby doesn’t become too hot.  

4 – If you’re swaddling your baby, this is a great way to help settle a newborn, but bear in mind that swaddling can easily treble the tog rating of the blanket on your baby. If the room is very warm, and your baby is swaddled, you should reduce the room temperature, perhaps by opening a window so long as it is safe. If this doesn’t help, it’s recommended you remove the swaddle.

5 – Depending on the temperature of your room or your baby’s nursery, your baby’s sleepwear may consist of a sleepsuit or bodysuit. In the warmer summer months, all your baby is likely to need is a bodysuit and a low tog sleeping bag.

6 – The temperature in your baby’s nursery should be between 16c and 20c.  A good quality digital nursery thermometer will give you peace of mind and enable you to adjust your baby’s bedding and sleepwear as needed. If the room temperature is 20c, you may need to remove a layer to make sure your baby isn’t becoming too hot.

Choose fabrics that allow your baby’s skin to breathe, like cotton or bamboo.

All the items mentioned in the checklist above are available at any good independent nursery shop or a high street store such as Mothercare. Mothercare discount codes  are also available to help with the cost.

 Related articles:

Planning Your Baby’s Nursery for a Good Night’s Sleep  

Choosing a Cot for Your Baby’s Nursery

“Matthew (18 months) has now had his Sleepytot for 10 months and they are firm friends. In our house his name is Bunny, which Matthew can now almost say. When it’s time for bed or if Matthew’s feeling sleepy he asks for Bun.

Bunny goes everywhere with us. I have attached a few pics to prove that Bunny truly helps Matthew sleep anywhere and everywhere….

in the car…

on the sofa…

and of course in bed…”

Isn’t he adorable?

Could your little one be Star of the Blog next week? If so, send your pics to lucy@sleepytot.com.

Fifi and Sleepytot on the train

Fifi and Sleepytot at the museum. See how his celever paws can hang onto Fifi’s bag?

Fifi and Sleepytot by the Coast.

Fifi and Sleepytot in the car

After a fun day out, Fifi and her faithful companion take a well deserved nap!

Could your little one be the star of a Sleepytot blog post? If so, send your pics to lucy@sleepytot.com.

This little one won’t be needing a Sleepytot Baby Comforter!

During the first year, babies develop at very different stages so while one child may be able to sit up, crawl and handle a comforter with confidence at 8 months, another may only just be learning how to roll over. This is why it’s essential parents use their judgement when giving a baby under one a lovey to sleep with. Infants don’t have the strength or co-ordination to remove anything that may fall over their face.

However, baby comforters, blankies, or loveys, can play an essential role in helping a baby learn how to sleep through the night. And the earlier they’re introduced, the sooner they can help give your baby that all important comfort and reassurance at bedtime. Here’s how to introduce the Sleepytot baby comforter so that you and your little one get all the benefits of a baby comforter and keep safe too.

Start by keeping it near your skin for a few hours. Pop it under your top while you are doing the housework or, even better, sleep with it for a night. This helps it to take on your familiar, comforting smell.

When you first introduce the Sleepytot, hold it between you and your baby while you’re feeding. During the day, take it out and about with you in the buggy or pram. You can place it under your baby’s head in the plastic supermarket trolley seats or when changing her on a hard surface.

At bedtime, use the paws to attach your baby’s comforter to the cot bars. She will benefit from smelling it nearby and seeing her favourite friend close to her.

If your baby uses a dummy or soother, you can attach these to the comforter when she is about 4 months old. During the day, play with the Sleepytot and the dummy – it’s a great way of helping your baby to develop hand eye co-ordination. If your baby doesn’t have a dummy, try putting linkies on there or a tommee tippee teether – this makes it just as much fun for your baby.

As your baby grows older, she will learn how to roll over, sit up, crawl and handle her Sleepytot with confidence. When you know it’s safe, you can then leave her to cuddle her Sleepytot baby comforter at night so she can soothe herself to sleep – and find her dummy without calling for you!