If you’ve been pulling your hair out from night after night of sleep deprivation thanks to your little bundle of joy, you’re not alone. But before you give up on sleep altogether, consider these top 10 tips to help Junior get the rest he needs so that you can finally get some decent shuteye.

• Have a realistic attitude about sleep. Sleeping isn’t a habit that you can force your baby into. Instead, it helps to create a secure environment that will help your baby to naturally fall asleep. Sleep should be a pleasant and secure state for your baby. Many sleep issues in children and adults start out as babies who have an unhealthy relationship with sleep due to anxiety or distractions.
• Try to remain flexible. Not every sleeping tip will work with every baby all of the time. But don’t give up hope just yet! If one method of sleep training isn’t working, then move on to another to see what works best for your baby.
• Find out where your baby sleeps the best. Some babies may sleep better in a crib in your bedroom, while other babies may do well in their own nursery. Try to tune into your baby’s needs to find out where he sleeps most comfortably.
• Start using sleep associations. The way that a baby falls asleep at night is the way that he will expect to fall asleep again when he wakes up in the middle of the night. If you rock your baby to sleep, he will need to be rocked back to sleep when he wakes up at night.
• Keep your baby peaceful all day long. If you hold and soothe your baby all day long, this peacefulness is likely to carry on into the night for a restful night of sleep.
• Use consistent nap times. Pick convenient times of day for consistent nap times for both you and your baby, like mid-morning and mid-afternoon. This will give you the opportunity to catch up on rest as your baby naps.
• Use a consistent bedtime routine. It is important to put your baby to bed consistently each night with a warm bath, lullaby, or by reading a book so that he will begin to expect to fall asleep.
• Use natural calming methods. The simple act of giving a baby a warm bath before bed will relax his muscles and his mind so that he easily falls asleep.
• Keep your baby active in the daytime. Once your baby learns that daytime is for activity, he will be more likely to fall asleep at night.
• Nurse your baby to sleep. After a warm bath, a warm bottle of milk or breastfeeding will help your baby to naturally drift off to sleep.

Photo by And3rei