Putting a baby to bed can sometimes be the hardest thing on the planet. If your child is set on not falling asleep, it’s next to impossible to calm them down. Or, so I thought., at first. But a couple years (and more than one baby) have taught me some tricks of the trade. And it’s nice to see some of them backed up by Molly Balint with babycenter, Pampers, and science.

Start making bedtime early, and preempt any crankiness or energy crashes. From there, you can start to work into a routine that both of you can get used to. It’s important to remember to calm your baby, quieting down and slowing the world around so that they can get nice and calm and relaxed. Be gentle and rub their back or belly or cheeks, and help soothe them to sleep.

A baby that doesn’t want to sleep is a whole new kind of beast I wasn’t expecting, but seeing them calm and sleepy, tucked into bed and all, it’s worth every second of screaming and fussing.

Read the Full Article: 5 tried and true tips for getting your baby to sleep