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How To Help Baby Sleep Well
It's the first question every new parent asks when coming home from the hospital--"How long until the baby sleeps through the night?" Generally, you'll want to allow 6-12 weeks for the baby to settle into a routine, although some children can take six months or more before they are able to sleep for longer stretches through the night. Early on, feeding times and attention will need to be given during the night, but there are a few things you can do to help make the transition to sleep time more rapidly.

Same time, same place. Try to set up a routine every night and put the baby down at the same time in the same place. Bath time, changing time and story time are also routines you might want to establish each evening to help your baby associate certain activities with getting ready to go to bed.

Music and Lighting. Playing nighttime lullabies softly with your home CD or MP3 player for the baby can help--a little relaxing background noise gives children comfort that mommy and daddy are not far away and helps them relax for sleep. Also, keep the baby away from the bright lights and activity of the living areas. A dim night light is enough for safety and to let the baby know that a darker environment is meant for sleep.

Waking up. If the baby wakes up during the night, check to see if they need to be changed or fed. Also check to see if they feel hot or cold. Discomfort is often the reason a baby will awake during the night if a good routine has been established.

Rocking and Patting. Gently rocking your baby while holding him or her in your arms will help sooth them to sleep. The rocking motion is soothing to the motion and balance center located in the ear canal. Rocking can also sooth a child that is crying or irritated. Gently patting the baby on his or her back is another soothing motion.

Rest is very important for the healthy development of your child. Whatever you do, remember that the needs of child--especially for rest--must come before the needs of the parent. Often young parents find themselves worn out, frustrated and beyond tired themselves at the end of the day, and then they must deal with the baby not sleeping through the night. Be patient, handle the child with care and never get impatient. Sleep will come in time, especially if you can develop a stable and predictable schedule for the baby from the first day home.