Although newborns have a penchant for sleeping up to 18 hours a day, they do it in maddeningly short bursts around the clock. Nighttime waking is one of the most common dilemmas for new parents. Here are a few simple tips you may want to try to get a bit more uninterrupted sleep yourself:

It is better to put your baby to bed when she's drowsy, not fast asleep. Babies who drift off on their own are likely to fall asleep more easily and learn how to soothe themselves to sleep too.

At the time you want your baby to sleep, you can try not to look your baby in the eye. This is because many babies are easily stimulated. A loving look from you can take them from tired to wired faster. Seeing your baby brighten at your glance is heartwarming at noon but may not be quite as welcome at midnight!

(By the way, taking time out to relax and enjoy your baby is important too.  A nice video of a laughing baby has been posted over at BabyFolk, if you feel in need of some enjoyment right now.)

Parents who make eye contact with sleepy babies inadvertently encourage them to snap out of their sleep zone. The more interaction that takes place between you and your baby during the night, the more motivation they have to get up. So it is better for mothers to keep your gaze on her belly and soothe her back to sleep with a soft voice and gentle touch.

If your baby sleeps more during the day than at night, help her to know the difference. During the day, allow plenty of sunlight into the house. Put your baby down for daytime naps in well-lighted rooms. To induce nighttime sleepiness, install dimmers on the lights not only in your baby's room but also in other rooms where you both spend a lot of time. Lower the lights up to two hours before bedtime in the evening to set the mood. Nightlights are okay, but choose small, dim ones with a bluish tone.

During the night, if your child wakes up, don't turn on the lights or carry her into a brightly lighted room. The shift from dark to light tells her brain it's time to rise and shine. Instead, soothe her back to sleep in her bedroom. If early morning sunlight prompts your child to wake too early or if she has trouble napping in the afternoon, install room-darkening shades.

A parent who jumps at every squeak transmitted over the baby monitor will teach her child to wake up more often. Instead, time your entrance so that you go to your child between the moment you know for sure she's awake and the moment she escalates into a full-blown howl. Waiting a few minutes gives her a chance to soothe herself back to sleep. And stepping in before a meltdown means that you'll catch her before she's too worked up to fall back asleep.

Either way, it's okay to turn down the sensitivity on your baby monitor. Set the volume so you will hear her when she is distressed but you will not be privy to every gurgle. Eventually you may just want to turn the thing off.

Resist the urge to change your baby every time she wakes up — you'll just jostle her awake even more. Instead, dress your baby in a high-quality, nighttime diaper at bedtime. When she wakes up, sniff to see if it's soiled and change only if you must. For sleepy nighttime changes, nothing wakes a baby faster than a cold, wet wipe. Try substituting a warm washcloth.

It is good to keep a routine for a baby’s sleep. If your baby wakes up late in the morning to help make up for some of his late nights, begin waking him at an earlier time each day to help encourage him to get the sleep he needs at night -- when the rest of the household sleeps.

It is better to choose a well lit area for baby’s naps. This is because it will allow only shorter naps which in turn may help the little one to sleep better at night. Also, feeding the baby more often during the day will allow her to meet their nutritional needs at a time convenient to the mothers also. While feeding, feed the baby in a quiet, darkened room occasionally if the baby tends to be easily distracted during the day.

If breastfeeding, allow your baby to finish the first breast offered. This will provide him or her with more of your rich hind milk, which may also help to space out his nighttime feeds. Carry your baby with the aid of a sling or other baby carrier. This will help to keep your baby relaxed, especially during the early evening hours, encouraging an easy transition to sleep.

Keep the evening calm to avoid over stimulation. If a bath is relaxing for your little one, you can bathe him before bed. If it's too stimulating, bathe him at another time.