Once born, the baby has to master the art of living in the world. Though learning is a continuous process, the baby has to learn rapidly soon after birth, in order to adapt quickly. When the baby is sleeping, the brain arranges and correlates the large amount of information and experiences that has been gathered during the waking hours. While sleeping the chemicals in the body and brain regenerate, making the baby more energetic, once awake. The growth hormones present in the baby work most efficiently when the baby is asleep. After birth, sleeping is very important, that is why, newborn babies sleep a lot.

Though babies sleep a lot, it may not be in long sessions. In the initial weeks, the baby will take a number of naps, which may vary in length. As a result, they will have no set sleep sequence. Hence their sleep sequence can vary from not sleeping to sleeping every now and then. The most difficult for the parents is, the interrupted sleep, which the baby has at night. A newborn may make wake up to five times during the night. The time spent sleeping at night may increase once the baby is about four weeks old. They learn to stay awake during the day and sleep at night by the time they are three or four months old. Some babies may still continue to wake up at night.

From the health point of view, the length and the frequency of sleep is of no consequence. In the initial months following his birth, a healthy baby will sleep as and when he wants, according to his need to sleep. This need to sleep may vary greatly from baby to baby. Some newborn babies need only eight hours of sleep, while others may sleep for almost 21 hours. Parents find it easier when they can create a specific sleep pattern for the baby for the day as well as the night. This also creates a regular sleep routine for the baby. When the baby is about six weeks old you can try to introduce a regular sleep routine. Often babies create their own sleep routines by the third or fourth month and will follow them without any help from their parents. Here are some suggestions that you can include while trying to create a sleep routine for you baby:

* Babies sleep extremely well after a nice bath. Bathing the baby at a particular time regularly will ensure that they sleep well. You can choose the time according to your convenience, so that, you can get other chores done while the baby is a sleep.
* Before trying to make the baby sleep make sure he has had a good feed. If the baby is hungry then, he will not sleep for long and will wake up for a feed.
* You could read a story to your baby before making him sleep. Over a period of time he will learn to associate story reading as a cue for bedtime.
* You can kiss and cuddle your baby for sometime before you put him down to sleep. After sometime he will learn that it is time to sleep.
* You either sing to your baby or play some soothing music that will help him sleep easily. This may take some time, as the baby will have to learn to associate sleeping with the song or music.

You can make your own routine with the help of these suggestions. An efficient routine is one, at the end of which, the baby falls asleep and you don't have to repeat the routine. Parents, who feel sad to see their baby sleep and miss them when they are asleep, should try a bedtime routine, as it will help them as much as it helps the baby. These routines may be disturbed when the baby is ill or you have overnight guests. But the sooner you have a bedtime routine in place, the better it is for both your baby and you, as the baby will learn to fit into your sleep pattern.