So your newborn baby is sleeping for a good 16 hours a day, eh? How come you're not? The answer lies in when your baby sleeps, rather than how long for, and it may seem at first as though he only sleeps during the day, pretty much never at night. (That's just an illusion, by the way). And while chaos may reign at first, fear not, as sleep patterns (for you and your baby) will settle down. By the age of six months, your baby will be sleeping 14-15 hours a day, hopefully with a five-hour uninterrupted stretch at night, and two one-to-two-hour naps during the day. The question is, what can you do to encourage your baby into a regular sleep pattern?

There are those that argue that your baby will find his own routine, others believe you should be a little more proactive and offer advice accordingly. The approach you take will undoubtedly reflect your personal attitudes - if you really hate doing the same thing at the same time every day, for example, then Gina Ford probably isn't for you.

Where most experts concur is that a degree of regularity is vital as it helps give your baby cues as to when to go to sleep - and consistency is key. And while giving appropriate sleep cues is useful, nay, advisable, from the very early days, full-blown sleep training, complete with 'controlled crying' is not recommended by anyone until your baby is six months old.

And if all your attempts at achieving that longed-for good night's sleep seem doomed, do persevere: the one thing all sleep experts are agreed on is that too little is not good for you, whether you are an adult or a baby. Studies have shown that healthy sleep patterns are vital for a baby's emotional and intellectual development, and that babies who are long sleepers are more content and have longer attention spans than those who sleep less well.

Sleep cues
Subtle (and not so subtle) was of telling your baby it definitely ain't playtime.

• Have a set bedtime and routine, eg, bath, story, feed, put down to sleep - and try to do this at roughly the same time every day.

• Put your baby down to sleep in a darkened room (leave a nightlight on so that you can check on her without switching on the light).

• A device that plays gentle lullabies or gives a light show may help - if nothing else it will distract your baby's attention from the fact that you've left the room.

• If possible, put your baby down semi-awake rather than fully asleep, so that he will learn to settle himself (and you avoid having to get him to sleep in your arms every single night!). If necessary, pat or stroke him to comfort and reassure rather than picking him up.

• Use the cot or Moses basket for daytime naps too if you're at home, as this will give the cue that this is where he sleeps.

• Draw the curtains for daytime naps so that darkness is associated with sleep.

• For night-time feeds, keep the lighting low and whisper rather than talk, in complete contrast to how you behave during the day.

• If your baby's room gets lots of sunlight, blackout blinds may be useful.

Further reading
Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Dr Richard Ferber (Dorling Kindersley, £7.99)

The Complete Sleep Guide for Contented Babies and Toddlers by Gina Ford (Vermilion, £9.99)

The Baby Sleep Book by Dr William Sears and Martha Sears (Harper Thorsons, £9.99)

The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracey Hogg (Vermilion, £10.99)

The No-cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley (McGraw-Hill, £9.99)

Baby Bliss (Penguin, £8.99) and Happiest Baby on the Block (Bantam USA, £3.67 on Amazon) by Harvey Karp

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child: A Step-by-step Programme for a Good Night's Sleep by Marc Weissbluth (Vermilion, £9.99)

Nighttime Parenting: How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep by Mary White (La Leche League International Book)