“Help! My Newborn Only Sleeps when Held.”

If only our arms weren’t so darn nice and comfortable. Because let’s face it, nearly every baby can sleep soundly nestled in our arms. Not the bassinet, not the crib, nor anywhere else they should really be sleeping. Good for them—not so good for us. Because while your baby is sleeping snug in your arms, you’re not exactly in the best position to sleep yourself. So you’re stuck: your newborn only sleeps when held at night in your arms. You know, the arms you sort of need to do things around the house.

Your newborn is much too new to this world for us to have high expectations. Forget about sleep-training; they can hardly tell night from day. And you can’t fairly expect them to sleep the long hours you’re craving.

But don’t worry—you can work around this arms-only business, while beginning to form patterns conducive to giving the baby and yourself the sleep you both need.

What to if your newborn only sleeps when held:

Swaddle.

Newborns come with reflexes that make them swing their arms, sometimes even unintentionally hitting their own faces and waking them up. They were also used to the comforts of feeling tight and secure in the womb, something they’re not used to when they’re born.

More at SleepingShouldBeEasy.com.