Sleep is a significant necessity for everyone. After a long tiring day, you look forward to getting relaxed. But motherhood is a little different. As a new mother, however much you love your baby, chances are you haven’t had a proper sleep in weeks.
And left unchecked, sleep deprivation isn’t going anywhere. Taking care of your baby is complicated enough on its own. But taking care of your baby and the rest of the family while experiencing sleep deprivation is dangerous. It affects your mood and a moody, irritated mom isn’t good for anyone, least of all your family.
According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 100,000 accidents result from drowsy driving. Sleep is important.
So how can you sleep like a baby when you have a lot of responsibilities? Try these:
1. Discuss your sleep needs with your partner. When you’re pregnant, it’s easy to think that you can do without sleep. But your body needs rest!
● Talk about how much sleep you need and when you need it with your partner. You can have this discussion even before you get home with the baby. Maybe you can work out a schedule that works for you both.
● It’s better to have this discussion early because your partner may be able to change some things around your house to make sleeping easier.
● You may also want to opt for a babysitter or a nurse who can come in at set times to take care of the baby so that you can get some rest.
2. Drive away any temptation to take on more responsibility. When you’re at home with your baby, it’s easy to feel tempted to take on more and more responsibility. But it’s essential to keep in mind that you need rest.
● Don’t make yourself responsible for more than you can handle. For example, you might feel guilty about the reduced amount of time you give your oldest son. The temptation to volunteer for a class trip might surface.
● Don’t feel guilty or like you’re not a great parent. You and your partner must take some time for yourselves.
3. Consider sleeping when your baby sleeps. The time you spend with your baby is probably some of the most treasured moments of your lives together.
● As a new mother, you feel a sense of immense pride when you see the look on her sweet face or hear her sweet coo. But to deal with sleep deprivation, a vital hack is to sleep when they do.
● Sleeping with your baby will increase your bonding time, which is critical for developing your newborn’s mind. It also allows you to live a healthy life that benefits you and your family.
● You might want to take the opportunity to wash the dishes or do the laundry. Your baby’s sleeping time may seem like the best time to carry out those tasks. But don’t. Put everything aside and get some rest.
4. Accept all the help you can get. A lot of new mothers feel they need to do it all. From cooking to cleaning, changing diapers to changing sheets, you might feel you have to do it all. But you don’t.
● Let your partner or someone else you trust take care of your baby so you can rest. People assume sleep is a luxury. That’s an incorrect mindset. Sleep is a requirement for a healthy mind and body.
● When you deliver your baby, you will need extra calories if you’re breastfeeding, and your body needs time to recover after birth. If you, the mother, don’t get enough sleep, it can affect your baby’s development. Don’t drive helping hands away.
Sleep is vital for both you and your baby. Not only can a lack of sleep have disastrous consequences like drowsy driving, low energy, and postpartum depression, but it can also have long-term effects on your baby’s brain development. For more tips, check out The Sleep Survival Guide.
When you are sleep-deprived, many things won’t work well. Remember, you can sleep like a baby. You just need to make a few changes to your lifestyle, such as accepting help, sleeping when your baby sleeps and saying no to extra responsibility.