The more a parent can encourage safe sleep practices and independent sleep, the more practice baby will get, and the easier it will become, hence leading to it becoming not a problem at all. Once your baby is no longer a newborn (older than 3-4 months) bedtime should no longer be a stressful crapshoot. You may still have a witching hour but hopefully this has shifted earlier and is easier to manage. A bedtime routine under 30 minutes is ideal because it encourages baby to go to bed and easily fall asleep. If the routine lasts longer than that or becomes too elaborate, babies wind up rather than settle down. Sleep is important for everyone, but particularly so for children. We all know that getting a full night of shut-eye is vital when it comes to your child’s growth and development – from doing better at school, to developing improved memory and reactivity. Happy, healthy sleep can also reduce the risk of catching colds and other minor illnesses. But just because we know this, it doesn’t mean that a good night’s sleep is guaranteed. Remember that sudden surge in growth during your teens? Well, your infant will go through many growth spurts through the first year. He’ll get so hungry that he’ll pop awake during light sleep to chow down. Whether its something specific like Ferber Method or really anything baby sleep related, a baby sleep consultant can guide you to find a sleep solution as individual as your baby is. Babies vary a lot in how long it takes them to develop regular waking and sleeping times. But if you’re worried about your older baby's sleep, you could have a chat with your health visitor about it. Do put your baby to sleep on his back on a flat, firm surface, like a crib mattress covered with a tightly fitted sheet. Use only the mattress made for your baby’s crib. The mattress should fit snugly in the crib so there are no spaces between the mattress and the crib frame. The mattress shape should stay firm even when covered with a tightly fitted sheet or mattress cover. Some kids go from overtired to totally wired really fast. And once they cross the line, they get revved even more and struggle against sleep. So check your wake/sleep diary and try to put your infant down thirty minutes before you think the yawning will start.