[caption id="attachment_858" align="alignleft" width="323"] Helping Your Baby Get Enough Sleep Is Easier Than You Think![/caption]

As a new parent, one of your priorities will be to establish good sleeping habits with your newborn. Your baby needs to learn to sleep on his own; the transition from sleeping with his mother to sleeping by himself takes some time. Of course, as add added bonus, if you get your baby to learn to sleep on his own you will also get some much needed rest yourself. To instill good sleeping habits in your baby, research and try to employ different baby sleep tips: try a lot of things and see what works for you, and don't be afraid to trust your instincts.

Many baby sleep tips center on the idea of establishing routines and associations for your child between nighttime and sleep.

The sooner you child begins to associate bedtime with sleep, the more likely he is to be able to go to sleep without a fuss. A period that is often overlooked, however, in establishing day vs. night associations, is the period of "transition" - that is, the one between being awake and falling asleep. Here are some transitioning techniques to try:

Try what is sometimes called "fathering down." Just before placing the baby into bed, the father should cradle the baby in such a way that the baby's head rests on the father neck. The father should then talk gently to the child. Because the male's voice is much deeper than the female's, babies are often more soothed by it, and will fall asleep more easily after being exposed to it for some time.

You can also try what is sometimes referred to as "wearing down." This is effective if your baby has been active throughout the day and is too excited to go to bed easily.

All you have to do is place your baby in a sling or carrier - "wear him" in other words - for about half an hour before his bedtime. Simply go about your regular household activities: being close to a parent and slowly rocked about before bedtime will provide your child with an easier transition from being awake to being asleep.

Finally, if you've exhausted other options, you can go for the tried and true method of "driving down." Most parents are probably familiar with this as a last resort: place your baby in the car and drive around for awhile until he falls asleep.

This one, while inconvenient, usually works every time, and if you desperately need some sleep it can be a godsend.

Obviously, you don't want to do things like drive around every night to get your child to sleep. Nor do you want to have to carry him around in a sling. The idea, though, is to start with these more drastic techniques and then slowly ease out of them. Keep in mind what a major transition your baby is going through when he is tiny: he's never slept on his own before.

He simply doesn't know how to transition himself from being awake to being asleep. By employing these transition techniques you will be slowly teaching him how to do so, and as they are gradually removed your baby will learn good sleeping habits, which will ensure that both you and your child get a good night's rest.

One of the most important things in getting you baby to sleep properly is for your baby to learn to sleep on his or her own. The reason it is so difficult for many parents - why parents of a newborn suffer from so many sleepless nights - is because your baby, at first, isn't used to sleeping on his own, and when he wakes up in the night he cries for his mother: being in the presence of his mother is only way he knows how to get to sleep. It is natural that this transition from sleeping with the mother, to sleeping on his own, will take some time for your baby.

Many baby sleep tips involve setting up a strict nighttime routine, and introducing objects such as stuffed animals into the bed that your baby can associate with sleep. If you find after some months that your baby is still not able to sleep on his own, you can try what is known as the Ferber method.

Invented by Dr. Richard Ferber, the Ferber method is the most common way of weaning your child away from the mother, in terms of his sleep habits. It is usually successful within a couple of weeks. Nevertheless, it is important that you choose a week where you can afford to lose some sleep to begin the Ferber method. Especially at the beginning of the process, the Ferber method does require that you spend a lot of time listening to your baby crying, and if you attempt it at a time when you are desperate to sleep, you run the risk of breaking down and allowing your child to sleep with you, or sleeping in the room with him.

If you do so you risk undoing a lot of work that you will have put into the method.

The first night you attempt the Ferber method, put your child to bed as you normally do. Your baby should be tired but still awake when you put him to bed, so that he is left to fall asleep on his own. After you leave the room, the baby will inevitably start crying. Allow him to cry for about 5 minutes, then re-enter the room to console him. It's important that you stay in the room for only a short time even if he is still crying and that you don't pick him up or rock him.

This second time you leave the room, wait 10 minutes before returning in the same manner. The third time wait 15 minutes, and set this as a maximum wait time for the rest of the night.

Every time thereafter, enter the room briefly and then allow your child to cry for 15 minutes. Eventually, he will fall asleep on his own during one of the 15 minute intervals in which you are out of the room. The second night, you should begin with a 10 minute wait before re-entering the room, followed by 15 and then 20 minutes. In a similar fashion, increase your initial and subsequent wait times by 5 minutes each night.

Using this method your child will soon learn to go to sleep on his own. Although it can be difficult to listen to your baby cry, understand that the Ferber method is a safe and effective way of getting your baby to learn to sleep on his own.

Lack of sleep are some of the most common problems parents face with their kids. Getting and keeping a child asleep at night is a major concern. Not only is the little one uncomfortable, but so are their mothers. Anyone who has ever had a young child or baby in the house is well aware of the misery that follows a sleepless night.

Infants under a month old and some older babies often appreciate being swaddled. They should be snugly wrapped in a blanket for warmth and security. It can help calm a baby down and may keep her from being awakened by her own “startle reflex” at night. Establishing a predictable bedtime routine is one of the best ways to ensure that everyone in the house will get a good night's rest. With very young infants, the process will take time and they still need middle of the night feedings.

It is very helpful that young babies establish a feeding schedule in the night. Once the nighttime feedings become a thing of the past, a great baby sleep aid is to warm a bottle or breastfeed right before the baby is laid down. Being fed and comforted with the warmth of a mother, a baby usually will help them settle in for the night. Children at such a young age need their sleep in order to grow healthy and have the energy their little bodies need.

Warm milk is naturally the most famous of the home remedies designed to help an infant go to sleep. The babies will benefit from a comforting drink. Giving them a warm bath is also recommendable. This will also help the baby sleep and get healthy rest.

Some children may have chronic sleep difficulties. Other children are actually going through their days deprived of sleep. But of course, an infant does not need to be given formulas and other potentially harmful preparations just to induce sleep. Little ones' bodies are definitely not ready to tolerate over the counter infant sleep aids and they shouldn't have to. Many medicines for children contain additives, artificial color and preservatives. Some are addictive and others may cause side effects which end up being worse than the condition that they are supposed to treat. The best alternative, barring that the bedtime routine didn't work, is to use a natural infant sleep aids. Carefully check the label of any product and make sure that it doesn't contain anything that could be potentially harmful. Infant sleep aids should be safe and gentle.

Most infants go through one or more periods when they have great deal of difficulty sleeping. Often the sleeplessness is linked to sickness or rapid physical or emotional development. These days, infants sleep aids can be used to help them fall asleep or sleep longer. But drugs do not help children deal with the underlying reason for the difficulties sleeping. It is usually best to try to determine the reason for the sleeping problems and work with the infant to improve his or her sleep in natural ways.

Of course, we don't want to give harsh chemicals to a child simply to encourage sleep. However, looking for a natural infant sleeping aids and some well-timed schedules may help both the mother and the infant get the rest they need.

All living creatures need sleep. Sleeping gives people and all living creatures the time for the body to recuperate and regenerate. Lion's needs 16 to 18 hours of sleep, while primates, ten to twelve hours of sleep. Humans need on average six to eight hours sleep to rejuvenate. Human babies need a full eight hours of sleep and naps in between.

The body uses sleep as a way to regenerate cells and refresh the brain and overall aids in the development of our body, mind, and health. During our sleep, the human body can regenerate hair follicles, fingernails, toenails and even the outer covering of the skin.

This happens because of the automatic pilot that is built into our bodies. People tend to think that the body only needs to recharge spent energy on the day's work but in truth the body works the regeneration cycle much faster when the brain does not control much action.

Babies therefore need their sleeping time to develop muscles, limbs, and skeletal structure.

In order to achieve a good night's sleep for your baby, it is important that your baby have comfortable and inviting bedding. The secret to a good bed is one that feels just right. Beds that are to big may make your little one feel insecure. Your baby's bed should be cozy and offer security for them to get a good night sleep. Selecting the proper bedding should also be a concern. The bedding should be easy to touch and feel cozy. Bedding that is to stiff or even to fluffy decreases your baby's comfort level and therefore reduces his/her sleep time. We would want our babies to enjoy their beds and consider it a place of security.

Try to make your baby's sleeping experience a pleasant one. Bedding should be inviting to the eye.

There are so many wonderful patterns and fabrics on the market today that choosing the right bedding should not be to difficult. Remember that your baby needs enough rest to stimulate his/her growth and development and when this is achieved, your baby can reach his full potential.