Surprising to many first-time parents is that many babies do not simply fall asleep when they are tired and wake when they are rested. Many babies tend to wake up between sleep cycles and then can't get back to sleep, leaving parents more tired than ever! Of course, there are tips and tricks you can use to get your baby to sleep fairly quickly, but what good is that if he can't stay asleep?

1. Start with a strong bedtime and pre-nap routine. 

This is one of the easiest things you can to do help promote better, more consistent sleep!

2. Keep your child's room dark and quiet. 

Black-out blinds and white noise machines can really help promote sleep!

3. Establish a (semi) consistent daily sleep and feeding schedule. 

Depending on your baby's age, establishing a schedule to organize your day can help!

4. Watch for drowsy signs.

Try to lay your baby down for sleep at the first sign of drowsiness; if you wait too long, she'll likely become overtired. 

5. Try putting your baby down for bed drowsy but awake one or more times each day. 

This will lay the foundation for eventually learning to fall asleep unassisted. 

6. Identify your child's sleep associations, and try to gradually wean our baby away from them. 

This "weaning away" process is called sleep coaching - and the Baby Sleep Site just so happens to be an expert at it! 

And also check out our 7 Highly Effective Sleep Tips...and your little one will be sleeping in no time!