While the joys of spending time with your newborn isn’t lost on you, the time you have available to sleep may be. New moms become quickly familiar with the fact that babies simply don’t recognize traditional sleep schedules and that the impact of sleep deprivation is no joke. To stack up on more sleep as you embrace motherhood, consider these sleep tips shared by Parents.com:
- Get breastfeeding relief: On those nights where your body is really letting you know you need to get some sleep, let your partner take over night time feedings by breast pumping milk ahead of time. While you enjoy the benefits of snooze, your baby gets a chance to bond with your better half.
- Embrace nap time: When your baby naps, sneak in extra shut-eye with them. Research has shown that naps not only naturally boost your energy, but your creativity, optimism and immune system.
- Consider changing where your baby sleeps: If the entire house is finding their sleep disrupted, it could be time to consider different sleep arrangements. Do what makes everyone more comfortable, whether it’s moving your newborn into your bedroom or into a room far enough where you’d only hear distress noises.
- Accept help: Don’t stress about getting the dishes, laundry, feeding times, and dinner done on schedule. Consider using a maid service once a week, letting your partner cook or a family member babysit so that you can relax enough to enjoy deep, rejuvenating sleep.
- Stick to healthy sleep habits: Even though you may feel exhausted, it’s still important to remember to prepare for quality sleep. If you climb into bed and haven’t fallen asleep within 15-20 minutes, you may need additional time to wind down. Leave the room to read a book, listen to music or meditate. Just keep the lighting dim and stay away from electronics to prevent your mind and body from becoming alert.
- Talk to a licensed professional: If your sleep issues are becoming out of your control, it’s okay to ask your doctor or a certified sleep specialist for advice or about medication.
It’s also important to keep in mind that your baby’s erratic sleep schedule won’t last forever and you can look forward to improving your relationship with shut-eye once again. Quality sleep is critical for every member for your family. To find out how much snooze one of your loved ones should collect each night, click here!
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