I decided this week to begin a segment of my own called Monday Mantra. I wanted to feature little lessons in life that I have picked up along the way. Most of these, I'm sure you already know and have learned yourself, but sometimes, when life gets hectic, it's good to reflect on these lessons that have made us better people.

Here goes: As you may or may not know, I am a HUGE believer in karma. I think it's as fundamental a rule in our universe as gravity. I've seen far too many examples in my own life to doubt whether karma exists any longer. I know deep down in my heart that it does. The good thing is that the rule of karma is extremely easy to understand: YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE...AND THEN SOME.

Now, that can easily work in your favor if you follow MY OWN GOLDEN RULE to being a human being. Mind you, this upcoming rule of mine is great in theory, but if you think about it, EXTREMELY HARD TO FOLLOW!

Here it is: Treat everyone you meet and everyone you already know, like you would treat your own mother.

Of course, it goes without saying that if your own mother is a horrible parent who only lives to torment you, I don't mean to treat everyone you encounter like you might treat her. That situation is entirely different. I do mean that if you truly love your mother with every fiber of your being and only want the best for her, then your new goal is to treat everyone else like you would want the world to treat your mother.

Give it a try today! Unfortunately, it is much harder to do than you might think. And that, ladies and gentlement concludes my first Monday Mantra!

Sitting here in my living room, a little after 10 pm, I smile to myself at the littlest character that is supposed to be going to sleep right now. I'm listening to my daughter, who is 16-months old, put on her nightly stand-up routine via the baby monitor in her room.

The baby monitor, which used to play a very critical role in my life as a new mom, is now there mainly just to tell me when she goes to sleep and when she wakes up. But every night, I get a glimpse into who she is becoming, by what she does in her room before she finally goes to sleep. Right now, I hear her practicing her animal noises. She's very good at making the "Ooh, Ooh, Ooh" of a monkey, and the "Caw, Caw" of a bird.

Every time she does these things, I can't help but get a huge grin on my face. Now, she's gone into this endless babbling where she's trying out a ton of different sounds. I do my best to cherish these times, because I know very soon, that the babbling will be no more and words will forever take their place. Everyone tells me over and over again that the baby and toddler stages of children vanish before your eyes and so I try and remind myself every day to cherish them while they're here. The beauty of my baby monitor is that it helps me do just that...30 minutes at a time.

If you have been working on getting your newborn baby to sleep longer, it may help if you feed your baby before getting him to sleep, give your baby a warm bath, follow a consistent routine, put a sound machine near your newborn, always be on the lookout for a sleepy baby, create a conducive environment for sleeping, make sure your baby’s diaper is dry, swaddle your baby, keep the temperature right, and be flexible and try different techniques.

As a parent, it is very challenging to get your newborn baby to sleep longer. Though they sleep for as much as 15-19 hours in a day, they do not do this in one period of time and their sleep habits usually make you getting really sleepy and tired as well. To help you get your newborn baby to sleep longer, consider the following advice:

Feed you baby before getting him to sleep

The foremost reason why your newborn does not sleep longer is that his stomachs is still small and he needs to be fed every few hours, usually every two. To help your baby sleep longer, especially at night, feed the baby before putting him to bed. But, be sure not to overfeed him, as this will cause discomfort to your baby and make him sleep less than you expect.

Give your baby a warm bath

A warm bath can help your baby sleep longer through the night as it will help soothe your baby. You can make this a part of your bedtime routine to give him a cue that it is about time for bed.

Follow a consistent routine

Bedtime routines can help put your babies in a good sleeping condition. Although it takes weeks or months to get your newborn baby to get used to a routine, it helps a lot to start introducing it to him early. A warm bath, a good book, and a lullaby can help your newborn baby start thinking that it is about time to sleep. Set your own routine that you think will work for your baby.

Put a sound machine near your newborn

Many white noise machines are designed to help your baby get to sleep easier and stay asleep longer. A sound machine (Keyword/URL) will help cover the noise around the house that might disturb your baby’s sleep, like when you are doing some chores or when a dog is barking. Make sure you choose a sound that is comforting for the baby and not something that may scare him. Alternately, you can keep some classical or other soft music playing all throughout his sleep to soothe him.

Always be on the lookout for a sleepy baby

As a parent, you may often get the wrong notion that tiring your baby can make him sleep easier and much longer. The thing is, when babies are overstimulated, it makes them harder for them to go to sleep. If you see signs that your baby is sleepy, such as when they start to yawn, rub their eyes, and cry, get your baby ready for bed before he starts getting more irritable.

Create a conducive environment for sleeping

Whatever the time of the day is, make your baby’s bedroom a soothing place for him to rest so he will be able to sleep longer. It would be great if your newborn gets to sleep longer during the night so you can get the rest that you need. To help achieve this, differentiate your baby’s afternoon nap and his night time sleep so that he will be able to adjust his sleeping hours. For example, you can lie down with your baby in bed to help her get a nap, and you can do your bedtime routine at night to help her sleep easier and much longer. Keep the room dimly lit at night to help your baby differentiate night and day.

Make sure your baby’s diaper is dry

Wet diapers and clothes can disturb your baby’s sleep. Make it a point to change your baby’s diaper before takging him to bed to give him a comfortable sleep that can last for longer hours.

Swaddle your baby

Newborn babies need security. When your baby does not feel safe, the tendency is that he will not be able to get a good sleep. Swaddle him and make him feel safe and secure, just like those days when he was still in your womb, and give him a better, more secure, and longer sleep.

Keep the temperature right

A bedroom that is too cold or quite hot can leave the baby uncomfortable, waking him up earlier than expected. Keep the temperature right for the weather to help your newborn baby sleep longer during her naps and especially at night.

Be flexible and try different techniques

All babies are different when it comes to sleeping, even twins. Stay flexible, and try different techniques to help your baby get to sleep longer. For some, nursing the newborn will work great as part of the bedtime routine after a warm bath and a good book. Others carry or rock their newborns to sleep. Make sure that you put the baby down when he is already in deep sleep. When you find your newborn already sleeping, keep rocking or let him stay in your arms until about thirty minutes before putting him down to bed to make sure he is really asleep.

Getting newborns to sleep longer is a very challenging task. They get hungry easily, they get scared easily, and they need to adjust a lot to their new environment. Try different things out, see what works best for your newborn, and be consistent when you have found the right technique. Once you do this, you will not only help your newborn sleep longer, but you are instilling in him a healthy sleep habit that will help him as he grows. You, too, can get the rest you truly deserve after all your love and care.