Sleep is very important to your baby.  It will keep him healthier and also give you time to regroup and rest for the many  hours of keeping up with baby.

The most valuable tool necessary to help baby fall asleep and remain in a proper position is a swaddling or receiving blanket.  Swaddling blankets should be at least 30 by 40 inches, soft enough to roll into a tight roll as a barrier and cozy enough to roll around baby for swaddling.  It is imperative that baby sleeps on his order back during those critical first months.  Many parents first wrap the baby like a burrito in a swaddling blanket to keep him or her secure and warm.  This also helps keep baby on his or her back, as a result of reduced mobility.

Once you put baby in the crib or bassinet, use several swaddling or receiving blankets to position baby.  This position keeps him safe while he sleeps and greatly reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  At this early stage, some babies may be able to roll from their stomachs to their sides, but they are not yet strong enough to roll from their backs to her sides or stomachs.  Watch your baby carefully and if your baby does roll onto his or her stomach during these first few weeks, reposition your baby on his or her back.  Your baby will soon become accustomed to this position.  Stack the swaddling blankets on both sides of the baby to create a wall so that rolling over is not possible.

To help babies learn to fall asleep on their own, put them to bed when they're drowsy, but before they falls asleep.  This will train them to fall asleep in their crib and not in your arms.  They will also learn to soothe themselves back to sleep instead of being rocked or held, which means more restful, uninterrupted sleep for you.