Or maybe babies (and their parents) are having more sleeping problems than in earlier days because of DECT-babyphones, causing and enormous amount of electromagnetic radiation which is know to cause sleeping disorders (because of disturbance of the activity of the brain and decreased production of melatonine)? The same thing can be said about regular DECT-phones and wireless internet.

Fien De Kuyper, Ghent , Belgium

You should read Tizzie Hall's save our sleep if you are having sleep issues she gives good old granny advice that works. Her book should be given in every bounty bag.

Kevin , Ealing, London

Our daughter slept in a moses basket alongside our bed for the first few months and then in a cot in our room. It was convenient for all of us - we heard if she cried or wanted something, but the ordinary snuffles and squeaks caused no-one any stress.

Maybe the big difference with our baby was that she was - wait for it - bottle fed. Now I know this will kick off a whole new tirade and I'm sure I'll be branded an uncaring swine for depriving my daughter of the best possible nutrition. But on the bright side, it did mean Daddy could do the morning feed before he left for work, giving me a lie-in.

Now Laura, would you care to hurl some thoughtless insults at me too?

Lisa van Gijssel, Newport, Gwent

What about your granny's granny? Or women worldwide who sleep with their babies. Are their any studies showing how well rested they are?

Parminda, Manchester,

Mary, there is much, much more to having a properly developed brain than doing well at university.

Sandra, Weymouth,

That statistics about fathers not getting up when baby cries applied to me, the problem was my wife would wake me up and send me to check why baby was crying - I also had to change his nappies and give him bottled milk when needed, it was horrible. What's worse, my lad now absolutely dotes on me, wants to be with me when sleeping, eating (and dribbling - ruins the shirt) and everything else. Don't fall for it, these things are meant for mum, dads are not natural at it - don't ever get up when baby cries.

Udayan, Calcutta, India

"The safest place for baby to be?". Good grief. This selfish woman is actively advocating neglect. One of the biggest single concerns now regarding cot death is the increase in parents, like Tracy, who insist on sleeping with their child. Please, please take heed of the advice from the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death, which, having examined most cases of SIDS in the past few decades, knows rather more about all this than Tracy: "The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or cot in a room with you for the first six months." I'm sure that "waking up to a baby smile" is delightful. Waking up to a cold, dead blue baby would be less so. Still, no more sleepless nights at least, eh?

Laura, London,

Karen, unless she's been drinking a mother is far too aware of exactly what's happening to her baby and exactly where it is at all times even during sleep to roll on to them. Breastfeeding mothers are especially sensitive.

A lot of babies benefit from hearing someone else breathe.. it reminds them to breathe themselves. Babies who have the comfort of their mothers warm bodies at night are more relaxed than those who don't.

Obviously the problem of baby falling out of bed can easily be solved by pushing the bed up to the wall...

Carolyn Jones M.D., London,

Working with mothers, babies and toddlers in the Highlands I'm constantly amazed by having to teach parents to sing to their children.
I have sung to mine two every night since they were born (except when they had sleepovers away from home!) and it is a valuable part of their bedtime routine. The eldest is now nearly 12.
Many of the parents I work with have now adopted singing to children at bedtime. Apart from many other benefits, it bridges that gap between falling asleep totally alone and settling in your own bed aware of a caring presence nearby.
Plus, it's absolutely free.

Christina Stewart, Inverness,

We as well co-sleep (in a family bed and with a crib in our room) and I find the thought of not responding to my baby's neeeds distressing! I love having him in the room with me and can just glance over at him to see that he is sleeping soundly or has kicked off the blankets... and when he needs a cuddle into the bed he comes. I love a good cuddle as much as he does!
I plan to both breastfeed and cosleep for a long while yet, despite it being 'inconvienient', as the author states.

Heather, Vancouver, Canada

Tracy, SWF, Essex, that was a beautiful comment, one that I believe in and I with my ex have practiced, If and when our Baby/Babies come with my now DYW we will do the same!
Good comment, one that I will remember!

Charles Linskaill, Edinburgh, UK

Tracy, you're on the money there. Of course you'll have a disturbed night if you have to get out of bed to go to your baby at night. Much easier to have the baby right next to you, where it feels safe (no need to buy womb-noise-makers when your baby can press its ear to your living chest and hear your heart beating), and you can relax.

Also, I wonder if the authors of this little study have considered the 'control' group - multiple studies have shown that everyone in our society gets less sleep than our parents and grandparents did. The authors present nothing but their own biases to show that anxious mothers (always a favourite group to pick on) are any more at fault than everyone else.

Caro, Exeter, UK

Who's granny? Not my granny, that's for sure. When my first born was a year old we slept over at my grandma's house for the first time. I went upstairs and found that she'd only made one double bed and all the other rooms had no space for the travel cot. I asked her where my daughter was to sleep. She looked a little confused and said "in the back bedroom.. with you", I told her that my daughter had her own room at home. Her eyebrows nearly flew off as she exclaimed "she's a baby!" We discussed it at length. Me promising that she was perfectly alright sleeping alone and that she'd done it since she was born. My gran getting more and more irate at the thought of a child sleeping on their own with no one to snuggle up to. I eventually gave in and put her in with me. We had the best nights sleep. I wasn't woken up by screams or wimpering. We carried on the habit from then until she was three and she was a much happier child for it. If I ever have another I will co-sleep from birth.

Lorraine, Cardiff,

My father (a cabinetmaker) made a cradle which stayed next to our bed the first three months. I could roll over, collect the baby, nurse, sorry, breastfeed, and put her back without either of us being more than half awake. We all got plenty of sleep. This did not work as well for diaper changes, however....

Linda, Cohoes, NY,

Co-sleeping reduces the risk of SIDS too.

Brian, Shirley,

Spot on, Tracy from Essex! Cosleeping is still a taboo subject, even though a number of expert paediatricians recommend it. Yes, maybe Granny does know best, but maybe Granny hasn't even considered other options!

Ann, London/Paris,

So getting up for a crying baby in the night is pointless, but those wicked fathers aren't doing it enough? Hmm.

Brian O'Blivion, Roanne,

We too feel the subject of sleepless nights is rather alien. Our daughter does of course makes noise, but generally she sleeps incredibly well.

I dont know if this is an issue, but we never gave her a dummy, and she breast fed for the first 11 1/2 months.

By the time she was 6 months old, she slept for long periods (5 hours straight), and by the time she was 10 months old, she was sleeping through from 7pm till 7am.

We feel very lucky, because many of the other parents in our groups are sleep deprived.

I hope this helps other parents.

Roberto Maietta, London,

I am amazed at the findings of this survey. As the mother of a 19 month old girl I managed to get probably double the amount of sleep each night that this survey is quoting - probably because i thought that most of the gadgets were a waste of money and played on new parents' insecurities and lack of experience. i took advice from my mother and mother in law and used common sense.

A friend who is a paediatrician doesn't rate the breathing monitors - you would need to be able to do CPR should the alarm go off and your child had stopped breathing and how many parents are capable of that?!

I think that the headline of this article is spot on, in many cases Granny does know best.

Jacqui, Newcastle,

They are babies, not cabbage patch dolls.
Those middle of the night feeds and cuddles are such a huge part of having a new baby and very special....you might be exhausted but it's you and your baby alone in the quiet of the night beginning a lifetime relationship.
I wish there wasn't so much emphasis on getting back to life before baby arrived....it's something that does and rightly should change your life....it really doesn't need to be a battleground.

vicky, bournemouth,

Co-sleeping doesn't work for everyone. I tried having each of my babies sleep in my bed but they moved around a lot and kicked me almost the entire night each time. Also, it seems a bit risky as one may roll over onto them without realizing it, or they might roll to the end of the bed and off onto the floor during the night.

karen, London, UK

(as that can have serious long term consequences, it's not good for brain development even if it does "work") I wonder how my graduate children (one a GP) all well above average intellegence managed so well, as their brain development was hampered by my allowing them to cry themselves to sleep on occasion.

Mary , Bristol,

When I hear stories of sleepless nights, pacing the floor and stressful training ideas at baby groups it feels rather alien to me. There's a very simple solution and baby knows best, snuggled up next to mum is the best place to sleep. We love sharing sleep with our babies in my house. It's not forever, they want their own bed eventually. No stress, no tears or crying it out (as that can have serious long term consequences, it's not good for brain development even if it does "work") and lots of lovely cuddles when it's peaceful. Waking up to a baby smile is something I'll remember forever.
When I think back to the days when I had my first I wish someone told me about co-sleeping.
Despite scaremongering stories if you plan a family bed and observe the guidelines (see the UNICEF babyfriendly leaflet for information) I believe (after years of reading all I can on the subject) it's the safest place for baby to be. Check out the work of Dr James McKenna if you'd like to know more

Tracy, SWF, Essex