If your baby has a hard time falling asleep often, it becomes a problem for you both. Whenever it feels like you rbaby seems to be awake all the time and his sleep patterns hardly ever coincide with yours, give these simple tips a try to nudge your little one off into sweet dreams:

Music - a classic tried and true method that works best for most babies. Gentle music is ideal, and there are tunes arranged just for the purpose of calming and lulling your baby. If you don't have that kind of music available, any pleasant, quiet tune will do, even the sound of your own voice. Reading poems or repititive stories in a very calm way also has the same effect, even when they do not understand what you are saying to them.

Rocking - lots of babies feel safe and secure in the arms of their caregiver, especially when they are carried in gentle to and fro or up and down motions, as this simulates how they were when they were inside their mother's womb: warm, snuggled up, and "rocked" while mom moved about.

It's also the same feeling you get when you feel sleepier while riding inside a car. Taking them for a vehicle ride or walking them in their stroller or using a rocking crib works too. But it's not good for them to get used to these latter methods because they might depend on it as crutches later on when they get older.

Staying calm - do your best to keep your anxiety about your baby's sleeping patterns from transfering to them, as these may have psychological repercussions. They will feel your stress and feel agitated themselves, associating your negative feelings with your attempts to put them to sleep. As a result, your baby will become even more wary of falling asleep or cause them to become afraid of the dark.

Sleep problems can result out of this, continuing long into later childhood or even adulthood. Try to project the feeling that sleeping is a happy and pleasant state to sink into and stay in by allowing yourself to be as happy and calm as possible while trying to let him or her sleep. Deep breathing, humming gently, or relaxing music can help you get into this emotional state.

Switch regular routines - if your current bedtime routine simply doesn't work, take a good look at your routine and lifestyle and consider making little changes to it, like baby's feeding schedule, playtime, strolls, daytime naps, trying alternative sleeping times, or having both mom and dad put baby to sleep.

As much as possible, don't try to force your baby in a schedule or routine that suits you only - she may have a temperament very different from your own.

After all has been said and done and these tips still do not work, consider seeking professional counsel so that you can take note of what's normal and what isn't, so that you can get expert help to rule out any deeper problems that may exist so as not to interfere with normal sleep patterns for the both of you.