The one thing that is going to change beyond all recognition to a new parent is sleep.Getting enough sleep is not only important for a new parent it can feel like an obsession even a competition between you and your baby. The fact is you need to get a good amount of quality sleep, not only to look after your baby's needs but to look after yourself.

It is hard in the early days to predict when your baby may wake and require feeding, usually just as you have fallen asleep yourself, so you need to catch up in the day time when your baby is sleeping. Although it is tempting to use this time to catch up on chores, phone calls, emails etc try not to, it is amazing how quickly sleep deprivation can affect you and your ability to feel like you are coping.

Until you can establish a routine the best option is to power nap in the day time and replenish your sleep stores.

When you are able, try to aim for a regular routine where your baby sleeps at regular times during the day. This way you can get on with daily work or take a break. It is very tempting to keep noise to a minimum and tiptoe around as your child naps, avoid this as your child will learn to wake at the slightest noise.

Aim to teach your baby clear sleep cues, a feed, burping and then in to their crib. Don't fall in to the trap of lying down with your baby and trying to creep out when they are asleep, if you do so this will be what your child associates with sleep and you will be expected to be there all the time. Teach your baby to fall asleep by themselves, this is crucial to them settling back to sleep when they disturb naturally in the night.

It can be very tiring in the early days, be kind to yourself and don't be too proud to accept offers of help. Every new parent has days when they feel low or overwhelmed, remember every stage of a baby's life is just that, a stage, and eventually your child will sleep through the night. Babies are a huge life changing and enhancing experience but they are sometimes exhausting and challenging. Try to take as much rest as you can in order to cope with the extra stresses you may face.