How will I know if my baby is tired?

Jo Tantum is the UK's No 1 baby sleep expert. Her best-selling book Baby Secrets is available at all good bookstores and also available through Amazon.

Newborn babies seem to always be asleep, especially in the first two weeks. They can only stay awake for an hour at a time before getting sleepy, but this time increases as they get older. The signs your baby is tired are a short sharp cry, staring into space and yawning.

When they start to do one or more of these things then put them somewhere quiet to sleep. You have about a 15 minute window of opportunity before your baby gets overtired, then it will be very difficult to settle her to sleep. So start a log of her sleep times noting when you put her down in her cot and how long she takes to fall asleep then you will wake out her nap times.