“Sleep when the baby sleeps,” they say; however, there are moms who just cannot get some sleep when there are chances to do so.
Most mothers of newborn babies often experience sleep deprivation. Due to mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, most new mothers are unable to get the sleep they wanted not because there are lesser chances but most newborn sleep is unpredictable.
The newborn’s body is naturally designed to have short cycles of sleep, which is contrary to a healthy adult body; even if you try to sleep like a newborn baby during daytime it wouldn’t be helpful at all, rather you’ll feel even more exhausted than not having enough time to rest during the day.
In other words, sometimes advising a new mother “sleep when the baby sleeps” is not helpful at all, rather it is frustrating, especially for new moms who can’t easily fall asleep.
For new parents, especially new moms, it is without any question that it is not easy to fall asleep and to get the recommended sleep of 8 hours; however, here are some sleeping tips that will make you feel energized even at a short period of time.
1. Get your husband involved
A responsible husband does get involved in raising children starting from his wife become pregnant until their children are able to leave the nest; however, there are certain cases that men are unable to handle things when it comes to attending newborn babies’ needs, especially for new dads. For instance, changing the diapers or making the baby stop crying for unknown reasons; this is the reason why several mothers take charge of almost everything – on top of their daily chores – causing the mothers to have lesser time to sleep.
So, to have quality sleep, make your husband involved; this means, he has to learn how the meaning of each baby cry, he has to know how to make the baby fall asleep, he has to learn how to make milk (bottle-feeding), and more. If your husband knows most of these, you can ask him to attend to the baby’s needs while you are catching some sleep, recovering from giving birth, and more.
If you are having difficulties falling asleep, make sure to keep your bedroom aesthetically clean and comfortable, take a quick hot shower, and use the best sleep mask.
2. Know your baby’s sleep pattern
As mentioned earlier, newborn babies have an unpredictable sleeping pattern, but to make it easier for you, try to distinguish when your baby needs to be fed and when he or she needs to be put back to the crib for another nap. Knowing your baby’s sleeping pattern will help you find the best hour that you can fall asleep too.
3. Learn how to feed the baby while lying down on your side
If you are nursing your baby, try to learn how to feed your baby while lying down on your side; this is an effective way to boost your sleep during night time. You do not need to stand up and walk to the crib just to feed the baby; what you need is to invest a bassinet for babies and attach it near your bed. Thus, when your baby starts crying, you can easily attend to his or her needs.
There are several ways to maximize your sleep when you are a new parent; try reading reviews and posts like this.