Parents trying to get a baby to sleep in their travel cot on a family holiday should consider giving their tot regular naps.

According to child and family psychotherapist Dr John Sharry, napping should take place in the morning or early afternoon.

Writing in a column for the Irish Times, the director of the Parents Plus charity said that many parents wrongly assume that their baby needs a later bedtime if they are restless when they are put down.

In fact, the reverse is often true and tots tend to be more irritable when they are overtired.

"To help him learn to self-soothe, the key is to bring him to his cot when he is sleepy but not fully asleep, so he takes the final step of getting to sleep by himself," Dr Sharry said.

He also underlined the importance of parents looking after themselves during times of sleeplessness, explaining that alternating each night could be a good way forward.

Earlier this month, Guardian columnist Viv Groskop said that when helping babies to sleep in their travel cots or bed at home, it is important to find a balance between controlled crying and soothing on demand.

Posted by Eileen KirkADNFCR-3005-ID-19752583-ADNFCR