My heartfelt best wishes to you and your family on the arrival of your new little bundle of joy. Parenthood can bring tremendous joy and satisfaction, but it also comes with its share of challenges. Many new parents can probably attest to the fact that it’s largely due to a lack of sleep. Fortunately, parents can get more and better sleep without sacrificing their responsibilities to their infants by adjusting their routines and habits.
Loss of sleep is possible after giving birth
Multiple factors contribute to postpartum sleep disruption. It’s possible that new parents are having trouble adjusting to the pressures of caring for a newborn. During this time, sleep is disrupted so that parents can attend to their infant’s erratic feeding cues and requirements. This is because newborns do not yet have a well-developed circadian rhythm, the internal clock responsible for establishing regular patterns of sleep and wakefulness. This is especially challenging for breastfeeding mothers because they are responsible for the sole care and feeding of their infant. Unfortunately, nighttime feedings require some mothers to get up and about. Even dads have to get up sometimes, whether it’s to help their kids or their partners.
Up to what extent might sleep deprivation contribute to the following problems?
Lack of sleep can exacerbate the negative effects of the postpartum period, such as the postpartum blues and postpartum depression, through causing impaired daytime functioning, increased stress, irritability, and anxiety. Parents who are caring for their children may be putting themselves and their kids in jeopardy if they aren’t staying aware.
Lack of sleep can also make it harder to be a warm and responsive parent. The increased stress level has an impact on the body’s ability to regulate emotions, explaining why this is happening.
Here Are 7 Ways To Get A Better Night's Sleep And Put Your Baby To Bed
If your infant is a good sleeper, you’ll get more shut-eye, too. Infants typically require between 14 and 17 hours of sleep every day. However, you can still help your babies establish a more regular sleep schedule, even if yours is erratic. Here are some helpful advice:
- Create a routine for your baby’s naps and bedtime to assist him or her get used to the idea that it’s time to sleep like taking a hot bath, feeding them, telling them a story, or singing them a lullaby.
- Make sure it’s a safe, cool, clean, quiet, and dark place to sleep.
- Try as hard as you can to get your infant to bed while he or she is still sleepy yet awake. This method encourages infants to develop sleep habits that don’t require being rocked or held to sleep.
- Try to ignore your infant for a few minutes to see if he or she can get to sleep on their own before taking an action.
- It’s important to keep your baby awake and stimulated while awake. When your baby is awake, you can do things like play with them.
- For babies, swaddling can mean a more restful night’s sleep. Even if you swaddle, back sleep is best for your infant. After you’ve swaddled your baby, it’s time to put him or her to sleep. Stop swaddling as soon as your baby can roll over, as this increases the risk of asphyxia or strangulation because the infant can kick off the blanket.
- A sleep log might be helpful for keeping tabs on how long and how well your kid sleeps. This will allow you to learn your baby’s rhythms and establish consistent wake-up and sleep times. However, as your baby develops, they may occasionally cluster feed, which might throw off their schedule. Don’t give up hope. Things will improve over time.
The prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) hinges on parents making sure their babies get enough safe sleep. Here are some suggestions for the safety of your infant:
- Always put your infant to sleep on his or her back on a sturdy surface.
- Keep your infant off of any sloping surfaces.
- To prevent unintentional asphyxia, make sure the sleeping area is free of loose materials like toys, blankets, and cushions.
- It is recommended that parents only bring their babies into their beds to feed them, and that they put the baby back in his or her own bed thereafter.
- Put the infant’s crib in your room.
Six tips to help tired parents get some rest
Now that you’ve established a regular sleep routine for your baby, it’s time to focus on your own health and well-being so that you can better care for your child.
Sleeping for 7 to 9 hours every night is recommended for adults. The problem is that many people don’t get nearly enough sleep. Nighttime baby awakenings are common for new parents, leading to sleep disruptions and ultimately worse quality sleep. Difficulty concentrating, memory problems, irritability, and exhaustion are among daytime manifestations of insufficient sleep or sleep deprivation.
Get a better night’s rest by using these suggestions:
- Avoid consuming any form of caffeine or alcohol after 2 p.m.
- For at least 30 minutes before night, put away any electronic devices.
- Try some wind-down activities like listening to soothing music or practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing or light yoga stretches before bed.
- It’s perfectly acceptable to take a nap during your baby’s nap time. A brief snooze of just 10 to 20 minutes might do wonders for your energy levels. In the first few months, until you’ve settled into a pattern, it’s best to limit guests.
- Maintain a physically active lifestyle.
- For example, dads can help out with nighttime newborn care by feeding, changing, or calming the infant.
- It may seem hard for parents with a baby to get a decent night’s sleep, but a little bit of effort on your part (and the part of your infant) can go a long way toward improving your health. If you or your baby’s sleeping patterns seem to be impacting your health, consult a doctor.