EASING THE TRANSITION

■ Make a big fuss about the move. Tell him that he is such a big boy now and he can sleep in a bed just for big boys.

■ You don’t necessarily need to pack the cot away. You could also give him a choice about where he wants to sleep. It might be a good idea for him to nap in his bed at first, and sleep in the cot at night, until he asks to sleep in the bed at night.

■ Stick to your normal bedtime routine: kisses, hugs and stories.

■ Try lying next to your child in the bed. ”That’s perfectly okay,” Erica says, ”and you can slowly reduce the time that you lie there once he falls asleep easily.”

■ A light in the passage outside his room will help him move around safely in the night, and offer reassurance.