Congratulations you have a brand new baby! But how do you get them to sleep so that you can rest and recharge your own batteries?

Yes! It's a tough one, and of course everyone you know will have an opinion on how to get a brand new baby to sleep, and most of them will share their ideas with you whether you want them or not! 

We decided to ask five trained, and more importantly trusted experts in baby sleep to share their best tips on how to get your baby to sleep from birth up to around three months of age. So, over to them!

"I suggest starting to teach your baby to sleep naturally and gradually from birth. Start by putting baby down awake and also keep them awake during feeds. Try to get into the habit of eat, play, sleep so feeds are happening after nap time rather than after a feed. In the newborn stage try and  keep baby awake for only 45 min- 1 hour between naps during the day. "

Sleep Consultant Shan at Jammytime.com

"The first week or so, your newborn baby will most likely hardly be awake, but after the first week or two, the #1 key with your newborn is to keep wake times very short, at first. You should soothe your baby for sleep after just 1-2 hours of wake time TOPS. Look for signs that she is getting sleepy and start soothing her. If you wait until she is fussy, cranky or crying, you are actually too late!"

Nicole Johnson from Baby Sleep Site

"At this early age, our focus is really on shaping healthy habits and getting to know your baby’s personal nature. The circadian rhythm is underdeveloped at birth and in the very early days they don’t yet produce certain hormones, such as our sleepy hormone Melatonin, by themselves yet. You can improve chances of a good night sleep by exposing your little one to broad spectrum daylight, being mindful that they can’t handle staying awake too long so will need opportunities to nap regularly and ensuring evenings are calm with low lighting. A simple bedtime routine can be implemented from around 6-8 weeks when you feel ready."

Fern from The Big Sleep

"My biggest piece of advice for maximizing sleep during the newborn stage is to make sure your baby doesn't get overtired.  Newborn babies need to sleep a lot and they can't typically be up for much longer than 45-60 minutes before they need to go back to sleep.  This is pretty crucial because overtiredness is a massive sleep stealer, so keep track of when your little one will need to go back to sleep."

Eva of mysleepingbaby.com

"The most important fact to keep in mind is that newborns can only last about 45min to one hour before they will need to sleep again. Over tiredness is really the one thing you need to watch out for with a newborn, because over tiredness will cause extreme fussiness, and compounding fatigue will make it harder for the baby to settle and sleep peacefully."

 Dana of www.sleepsense.net

So, you may have noticed a common theme from our sleep experts, in that your newborn shouldn't be awake for long stretches at all! If you want to get out and about with your newborn then a SnoozeShade Original is perfect for babies from newborn up to around six months and helps to create a dark and peaceful environment for sleep, as well as protecting delicate skin from the sun's harmful rays.

Further Reading:

3 Newborn Sleep Hacks You Have to Try
9 Tips to Help You Cope with Visitors When You Have a New Baby
8 Tips For When You're Planning to Travel with a Newborn