Sleep - that magical state we all crave and can never seem to get enough of! According to some sleep statistics, 65% of people questioned lose sleep due to stress. Add to that being a new parent and things can get really crazy.

Looking online there are hundreds of sites dealing with tips to get your baby to sleep better. However, the reality is, your baby's ability to sleep is not a reflection of your parenting skills as much as a natural development that will stabilize in time. But in the meantime, what about you? It's important to try to take care of your sleep needs as well!

Here are some ideas from other parents:

• Form a support group with a few parents in your neighborhood and develop a schedule so you can care for each other babies while the other parents get some rest.
• If you have family close by, ask for help, arrange with somebody to care for your baby so you can get a solid nap.
• If your schedules allow and you can pump milk to a bottle, try alternating night feedings with your partner so that you each can get some nights of less interrupted sleep.
• Hire a post natal doula to help you, some organizations will even come in to help on overnights.
• Give yourself permission to let things go in terms of housecleaning and any non-necessary tasks.