When you have a new baby, you can pretty much expect to give up sleep for a while. But once that magical moment happens when she finally sleeps through the night and you can catch a few Zs of your own, you'd give just about anything not to have to go back to waking up in the middle of the night again. But unfortunately, sleep regression is real and you may need help from dear old dad to get through it. If you're struggling with your baby's sleep issues, there are ways dads can and should help with sleep regression.

According to the Baby Sleep Site, sleep regression is a period of time when a once normally sleeping baby begins to wake up for no apparent reason. While every baby is different, these regressions typically happen at four months, eight months, 11 months, and 18 months, and usually coincide with developmental milestones. Fortunately, these regressions are temporary and generally last anywhere from a few days to a week.

Even if you have the most supportive partner, he may be completely clueless when it comes to dealing with your baby's sleep issues. But you can help him share the load by allowing him to help you manage your baby's nighttime neediness. Giving him a part of the bedtime routine, allowing him to take turns tending to baby's cries, and leaning on him for support are a few things dads can do to help you stay sane until things get back to normal. But when you have a baby, is anything ever really normal? Here are a few ways dads can — and should — help you deal with this tough bedtime phase.