What do you do when they don't sleep?

I usually sit in the dark and rock Liam until he's sound asleep. If he's only half asleep when i put him down he will get up and cry again. My trick is to feed him as soon as i hear him getting up. I don't wait for him to cry with hunger. That way he's half asleep when i feed him and he falls asleep after his feed. I also try not to put the light on. During a nappy change i try to block the light so that it doesn't shine on his face waking him up.

I either rock C while standing or in the rocking chair until she's calmed down and then put her back to bed. I never take her out of her room. Never switch the light on unless it's to give medicine or change a nappy. If I'm really desperate I hum. I'm not much of a hummer. Oh and I don't talk just make soothing noises and stroke her back.

hmmm...like Julz says, it's important for them not to get stimulated in the middle of the night.
But I understand your question, Mia. Erin was wiiiiide awake after her 2am feeds. So, what do you do after you've changed them, fed them and burped them? Erin used to sit and look at the painting of a large oak tree in our bedroom (where her crib was). She would just stare and stare at the bladdy thing (in the dark!) while we just wanted to sleep. Eventually, Neil took a cardboard cut-out of an elephant and stuck it onto the tree with Prestik. We had that elephant on there for nearly a year.
I know you might feel bad and like you have to entertain them, but really, if you've changed, fed and burped them, and they're happy to lay there by themselves - you need the sleep. Don't feel guilty about rolling over and going to sleep yourself.

While if Troy doesn't want to fall asleep on the boobie during the night and he is still niggling after I have put him in the bed then I get up and rock him a bit or kick hubby awake to rock Troy to sleep.

i do prosess of elimination... will always start to see if baby is hungry , nappy , winds. to cold, warm, basically all the basic needs.

I avoid eye contact with baby as it puts their heart rate up which makes them more awake and i would never talk to baby at night as you tell them then its okay to "play" if all this has not worked i would hold baby and rock him to sleep.

I would keep the room dark, no noise or sound. TV is going to stimulate your baby. I wouldn't talk either.

You need to show lo that it is sleep time. I did rock him and during the early months he was in a bed next to me so I would wait until he was settled and then put him back down.

If he was really fussy I would sing quietly.

Even now if we have a rough night we put Dylan in our bed but lights off, no talking and we sleep.

If your baby wakes up and doesn't want to go back to sleep after they feed in the middle of the night, what do you do?

* Rock / dance with them
* Let them cry
* Put them in your bed
* Go watch TV with them on your lap
* Sleep in the armchair with them
* Something else (what?)