Most parents know the basic "5 B's" of bedtime routines: bath, brush teeth, bathroom, books, and bed. Our family, however, has invented many other fun (but not too physical) games that we've added to these basics. Because we frequently make bedtime fun, our children don't resist bedtime. Here are just a few games we've made up:

One morning a few months after our second child, Laurel, was born -- we'd been up much of the night (again) and were blotto with fatigue -- my wife looked at me and said "Parenting can wreck your life!"

Here's something that may really surprise you: As much as we may want our babies to sleep through the night, our own subconscious emotions sometimes hold us back from encouraging change in our babies' sleeping habits. You yourself may be the very obstacle preventing a change in a routine that disrupts your life. So let's figure out if anything is standing in your way.

by Ann Douglas

While your nightstand may be overflowing with books about pregnancy and birth, you may want to add a baby sleep book to that stack, too. Getting the sleep facts of life before your baby arrives on the scene can help you to be a more rested new parent. Here's a quick guide to get you started.

Top Seven Strategies for Preventing Baby Sleep Problems

1. Try to get your newborn to bed when he is sleepy but not overtired.
2. Use the power of daylight to reset your newborn's sleep-wake clock.

"My baby takes only short naps." There are several equally good reasons a baby may take only catnaps. First, a short nap may be all she needs; some babies are fully energized after 30 to 40 minutes of sleep. But this next reason is more likely the culprit:

It's common for a mom to be lying awake in bed while her baby or toddler is snoozing blissfully. Unfortunately, low quantity and poor quality (= depth) of sleep erode a mother's health and well-being, and give her a strong shove down the slippery slope toward depression.

In the majority of cases, a baby's biological clock is preset for an early bedtime. When parents work with that time, a baby falls asleep more easily and stays asleep more peacefully. Most babies are primed to go to sleep for the night as early as 6:30 or 7:00 p.m.

My year-old child has begun to climb out of the crib at night. How do I keep her safe? Start by thinking about her environment in larger and larger circles, from the crib to the door. First, the crib.