Any new parent will tell you that they are tired – all the time! Recent research from Ergoflex has found that parents lose six months’ worth of sleep in baby’s first year. On average, new mums and dads in the UK are getting just over five hours sleep a night.

“Good quality sleep is vital to ensuring we're enabling our minds and bodies to rest and rejuvenate; ultimately providing the foundation for a healthy life,” a spokesman for Ergoflex said. “It's only a matter of time before sleep-debt accumulates and health can begin to suffer.”

So what can you do to ensure that you get as much sleep as possible to tackle the day ahead? Here are out top seven tips...

1. Show them when they are expected to sleep

Babies do not automatically know that night is for sleeping and day for waking so it is something that they need to be taught. To do this, provide them with lots of activities and stimulation during the day and a calming, quiet environment at night. By setting up a routine of bathing, cuddles and relaxing music in the evening before bed you are teaching your baby that it is time to slow down and sleep now.