Even if your baby is normally a good sleeper, everyone has a bad night once in a while. And sometimes, no matter how tired and fussy they are, babies just can't seem to fall asleep. Unfortunately, the reason for this is a mystery.

"It's hard to say why some babies have trouble falling asleep," says Dr. George Toporoff, a pediatrician at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic in Hilton Head Island, S.C. "But there are things you can try."

A little one who is so exhausted he can't fall asleep tests every parent's patience. And when you've tried all your normal tricks and nothing works, then you have to get creative. But you should start by eliminating the basic reasons.

"Your baby may have trouble falling asleep because he is teething or uncomfortable," says Dr. Alexander Horowitz, a pediatrician at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic. If you've checked your baby's diaper and clothing, and teething doesn't seem to be the culprit, then you can try some of the following strategies.

"My daughter was awful about going to sleep," says Ramin Ganeshram, a mom from Stony Brook, N.Y. "She loved the vacuum so we were always running it. Then we got worried about burning out the motor." To save their vacuum, Ganeshram and her husband would take turns making buzzing noises. Then they found a Web site with downloadable mp3s of vacuum cleaner sounds and other white noises. "I put them on my iPod and played them in a loop to her," she says.

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.