Nothing is more frustrating for a new parent than hearing your baby cry and being unable to soothe him. As a parent you want only the best for your baby and it is so important to get baby sleep, sleep your baby needs to be rested, calm and happy.

Here are three ways to get baby to sleep fast:

1. Calm yourself first. Babies are highly intuitive and pick up on their parents moods and vibrations. If you are anxious, nervous or upset, your baby will be cranky and restless. Take a warm bath, listen to music to take a time out and go for a walk before attempting to comfort your baby when he or she is very cranky and won't sleep. Your baby will feel the change in your mood and start calming down immediately.

2. Establish a bedtime routine. It does not matter if your baby is very young, it is never to early to get your baby into a routine to get baby sleep. This also means making sure your baby is on a feeding schedule. One of the worst mistakes parents make is letting their baby "graze" and eat whenever they want. A good rule of thumb for young babies who are breast fed is nursing every one and half to two hours and for formula fed babies, every three to four hours. If baby becomes cranky before those times, it is probably because he has gas or needs a diaper change. If you make sure your baby is nursing 10 to 15 minutes on each breast at a feeding or taking in the required amount of formula for his age, he should be able to last until the next feeding.

3. Play Lullabies. Music is proven to soothe and calm babies. In fact, hospital nurseries, especially the neonatal units, play music to calm babies. a fast way to get baby sleep is to put on a collection of lullabies without vocals that uses classic music. I have composed my own lullabies in my CD, Good Night Lullabies, and you can get two free lullabies to try by going to www.goodnightlullaby.com

Here is a very little known method to get baby sleep that you won't read about in most baby books. Only experienced mothers are familiar with this trick.

You will need a pacifier. Now, do not be concerned that your baby will develop nipple confusion, buck teeth to have a binky in his mouth until he is 5 years old. A pacifier is perfect fine to use if taken away by 6-9 months old. For this technique to be successful, you should offer your baby a pacifier early on so that he won't reject it later.

Here is the trick:

During the night, when you hear your baby starting to fuss, immediately go to him and offer a pacifier instead of feeding him. He will suck for awhile and then will most likely spit it out and start fussing again. Go back in and offer it again. The goal is to prolong the time between nightly feedings and help your baby fall back into a deep sleep.

Each night, the time between feedings should be increased until you eventually have a baby who sleeps through the night.

Caution: This should only be used with babies who are at the age and weight to sleep through the night. Do not use on a small baby who needs the night time calories.

Babies often don't adhere to the schedule their parents set out for them for sleep. Especially when it comes to napping. Since babies are incapable of communicating to their parents when they are tired, it's a good idea to keep to a regular schedule before they become over tired and cranky. This prevents a possible temper tantrum and the resulting power struggle between parent and child.

One reliable method for getting your baby on a regular schedule for napping is to make a nap time routine that is similar to your night time bed routine. For example, if at night you make a practice of reading a story to your child, then read a story before the nap, albeit a shorter one than you would read at night. If you are in the habit of singing a lullaby or playing soft, soothing music, then do so before the nap, (again, make it a bit shorter in duration than you would at night). Although these practices aren't an exact duplicate of the night time bed time routine,they are similar, and the child will gradually understand that it's time for sleep.

Another issue with naps, is that the child may stay asleep for only a short time, maybe only fifteen to twenty minutes. If babies cry out for their parent, it probably means that they haven't learned how to soothe themselves yet. A good idea is to call out to the child, tell them that they are okay and that you are close by. This method gives babies a feeling of safety and assists them in learning how to comfort themselves. It also helps them to understand that nap time isn't over yet. Very often, when babies learn to self - soothe in this way, they will fall back asleep, and gradually the duration of their naps increases.

Mothers lead very busy lives these days, and sometimes while attending to the many chores that need to be done, running errands, and maybe carting their other children around, the baby will fall asleep in the car or stroller. A simple fifteen minute nap can wreak havoc with the baby's schedule. If feasible, let your baby sleep as long as possible. If that's not an option, try carrying the baby quietly to bed upon arriving home. A good way to avoid this is, of course, to do your best to plan errands around the baby's schedule. If you have to be away from home, give them toys to play with in the car, sing songs while riding around and make the car noisy and stimulating for the purpose of keeping the baby awake until the scheduled nap time.

It's a daunting undertaking to be a parent and each day presents new challenges. Optimally, naps are structured into your's and your baby's day. It has been proven that keeping your baby on a sleep schedule reaps many benefits, including good health, a stronger immune system, a happier baby and more well rested parents. If you keep to a schedule, nap time can be a win win for baby and parents because everyone benefits.