Step1
First and foremost, do not try to follow the steps below if you have a week old baby! That kid is not going to sleep through the night, no matter what you do, unless God grants you a reprieve. Typically, babies under 2 months cannot go that long without eating because their stomachs are still so small. So, if you are dreaming of your one month old sleeping through the night, you can give it a shot, but don't expect a miracle. Secondly, the steps below have to be followed from the time you bring baby home. The longer you wait, the harder it will be, so when little Johnny is a year old and you and Daddy want to start having sex again, do not expect little Johnny to go to his room without a fight. You sow what you reap, got it? Lastly, it is really important to remember that all babies have their days and nights mixed up. They can't see the sun in your tummy, so they don't know that sundown means sleepy time. The reason for this confusion is actually your fault! When you are pregnant, the motion of your body as you go about your day is soothing to baby, and while you are active, baby is being "rocked" to sleep. However, when you lay down at night, that rocking motion goes away, and baby is wide awake. This is why so many babies sleep all day and stay up all night!
Step2
Do not let your child sleep in your bed EVER!! I cannot stress the importance of this. If a baby is used to being in your bed, it makes sense that when you try to make him or her sleep in their crib, they won't do it! Do you like sleeping in strange places? Neither do babies, so do not make this mistake. If you must have baby in your room, get a bassinet and keep it where the baby can't see you from inside of it. I know that sounds silly, but routine and familiar surroundings are very important to babies, so you don't want the baby to have to see you to go to sleep, or when you move baby to his room, he won't like it much.
Step3
Put baby down for bed when he is still awake. Okay, I know this is hard, especially for first time parents who are starry-eyed and full of all sorts of useful parenting book information. "So and so said on page 63 that if you don't hold the baby while they go to sleep, you won't bond with them." This is the rub with a lot of information about babies and parenting, so listen: NO BABY IS NORMAL AND NEITHER ARE YOU! A "typical" baby may do this or that, but every baby needs to learn how to sleep on their own, not just for your sake but for theirs as well. Babies who don't learn to sleep through the night become toddlers and then children who don't get enough sleep, and sleep is a major factor in school performance, obesity rates, and overall happiness (look it up). So, good sleep habits are not just important for your sanity, they are vitally necessary for your baby too. Now, I am not saying don't hold your baby, not at all. Rock your baby, hold him, calm him down and get him sleepy, just make sure he is awake when you lay him down.
Step4
Have a bedtime routine. Babies are happier when they feel a sense of security and comfort, and having a regular routine contributes to that. Routine is important, not just at bedtime, but we'll talk about that later. Before it's baby's bedtime, feed him, give him a bath, a massage, read a book together, rock him, talk to them softly, whatever you want your baby's bedtime routine to be. Just make sure that you are consistent and keep to the same routine every night. Baby will learn that routine means bedtime is near and will look forward to the time that you spend together.
Step5
Get baby on a schedule and stick to it. This is the toughest part of the whole process. Getting your baby on a regular schedule will involve sacrifices on both your parts. First, be realistic. A month old baby is still eating around 6 times a day, so think about that when you are trying to set a schedule. Keep a Sleep/Eat diary for a week. Write down when your baby eats and sleeps, how much they are eating and how long they are sleeping. This will help you spot patterns and see when your baby sleeps the longest. Then take what you have seen and set a schedule. Say baby takes a bottle at 8pm and then is up at 2am to eat again and then again at 8am, but eats more frequently during the day. Try to stretch out the time of that last feeding to 8:30, then 9:00, and baby will also get up at 2:30, then 3:00. This will help you get more sleep, because you know you're not going to bed at 8:30 when your baby is done eating! And don't ever wake your baby up in the middle of the night! Parents sometimes think that it is better to wake them up and feed them so they will not wake up screaming, but doing so is completely counterproductive to what you are trying to accomplish. If you wake them up, they will continue to wake up even if you don't want them to. Also, a lot of parents will let baby sleep during the day and then miss a feeding. Remember, consistency is important, especially when establishing a routine, so when trying to put baby on a schedule, I would do one of two things. If you see baby is getting fussy and tired, either try to keep them awake, or let them go to sleep and get them up to eat. If you try to keep baby awake, you will have to endure screaming and a lot of fussing. If you let baby go to sleep, there is a good chance that when you get him up to eat, he won't really wake up all the way, and even if he does, he will probably go right back to sleep. I know some people will say, "oh no, never wake up a sleeping baby!", but I say if a baby is on a schedule they won't need to be woken up, they will wake up on their own. I know it sounds confusing, but just give it a shot for a week or two and see what happens.
Step6
Make sure baby is comfortable and on his back. If baby is too hot or cold, he will not sleep as well and will wake up multiple times during the night. You know best if your baby is hot or cold natured, so dress him accordingly and use appropriate blankets if you choose to have blankets in their crib. Babies who are swaddled (wrapped up like they were in the hospital) tend to slepp better because they feel more secure and because they don't lose as much body heat. Also make sure baby is on his back. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this in case baby spits up, they will be able to turn their head instead of choking. Do not lay baby face down because he cannot pick his head up at such a young age yet. Sleep positioners are a grreat way to make sure baby stays in place, and the sides can also help baby to feel that he is being held, which will make him much more relaxed.
Step7
Okay, so let's go over the steps again, just to summarize.
1) Do not let baby sleep in your bed
2) Put baby down while he is still awake
3) Establish a bedtime routine
4) Put baby on a schedule and stick to it
5) Make sure baby is comfortable and on his back
This will be hard for many people, especially figuring out that last step. If you have concerns about your baby's schedule, what they should be eating and how much or how many times a day, check with your pediatrician to be sure he is getting everything he needs. You will encounter a lot of flack from other moms (especially yours and your in-laws), but just be patient and see what happens. This has worked not only for my own kids, but for every other mom that I have recommended it to. If it works, great for you, and if it doesn't you can blame it on me:) Some of you might try this and it works in 2 weeks, others might try it for a month with no luck. You have to be able to handle letting the baby cry, which is why I recommended the earplugs! Start out with just 5 minutes, do NOT let baby cry for an hour! Then go talk to baby, reassure them that you are there, give them their pacy, and then leave the room. Don't pick them up yet. If after 20 minutes of this routine they are still fussing, pick them up and try again. Ad baby gets older, you can increase the amount of time that you let them cry, but I would not recommend doing this until about 2 months or so, because baby is still so young and needs to learn that he can depend on you to be there. Last piece of advice, remember that every baby is different. Some babies will easily get on a schedule at 2 months and others are not ready until 4 or 5 months, just remember to keep trying!
Pure Bliss!
Novice 
