Living with a newborn means involuntarily having more waking hours. Many first-time parents learn about this the hard way. Although sleep deprivation is inevitable for a newborn’s primary caregivers, it doesn’t mean the situation has to be dreadful. Follow these six tips to be well-rested, energetic and happy during your child’s newborn phase.
1. Sleep Deprivation & Setting Your Expectations Accordingly
Newborns sleep on average 16-17 hours per a day and stay awake for one to two hours at a time. These ranges are wide because babies can’t differentiate day from night yet.
You can use techniques to make sleep-wake cycles more predictable. Reducing noise levels and minimizing light from all sources as night approaches helps, and so does putting your child to bed when drowsy instead of asleep. Still, you can’t expect every trick in the book to work like a charm every time.
Accept that your newborn won’t sleep at specific times of the day. Planning unrealistic schedules can cause frustration, making the situation worse than it should be. Don’t worry; as your baby gets older you can help create a sleep schedule.
2. Follow Your Child’s Sleep Pattern
Combat sleep deprivation by getting some shuteye when your newborn is asleep is the key to surviving this tiresome period of parenthood with less stress. Younger babies typically doze off for a few hours at a time. Set your baby safely in his bassinet or crib and take advantage of this tendency to rest and feel more rejuvenated.
3. Maximize Help From Others
Caring for a newborn is a full-time job. If you have a spouse, work in tandem and be alternating primary caregivers to take some load off each other’s plates.
Moreover, ask your relatives and close friends for assistance. Although the people who care about your family may have busy lives, they’ll be happy to lend you a helping hand as much as possible. Additionally, seek advice from professionals like certified sleep coaches or postpartum doulas for support.
Outsource some household chores. Hiring a housekeeper, ordering ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat foods, and using contractors for home repairs cost money but are worth the expense while you are taking the time to recuperate after birth and bond with your newborn.
4. Enhance Natural Lighting
Did you know that exposing yourself to sunlight helps minimize sleep loss? Letting an adequate amount of natural light enter your home enables you to stay up and slumber when needed more quickly.
An airy house remedies lethargy, reduces stress levels, lifts mood, triggers vitamin D production, promotes good skin health and disinfects rooms. Open up the blinds during the day and spend more time outside to improve your ability to fall asleep so that you can get ahead of sleep deprivation.
5. Disrupt Parenthood Monotony
The first months of your child’s life will be eventful, but exciting baby milestones at this stage are far and few between. You’ll find yourself in a rut after adjusting to your daily life.
While routine is everything, doing the same thing day and night can be maddening. Incorporating something fresh can be an antidote to boredom. Go for a walk, have brunch with friends or share a romantic dinner with your spouse occasionally to reinvigorate yourself.
6. Prioritize Self-Care
You can’t care for your newborn to the best of your ability without taking care of yourself well. Doing the things you enjoy is therapeutic, not selfish. Find time to pursue your favorite pastimes you can physically do to have a balanced home lifestyle and continue performing your parental duties properly without feeling burnout.
Parent Your Newborn with Strategies to Sleep Like a Baby
Experiencing sleepless nights with a newborn comes with the territory — a sort of rite of passage for parents. Although there’s no avoiding it, reminding yourself that this sleep deprivation phase is transient can comfort you. It gets harder before it gets easier, but these tips should make your exhausting situation more bearable. Boston Baby Nurse & Nanny’s Certified Sleep Coaches can help your baby establish healthy sleep habits, as well as allow parents to get some sleep and peace of mind.
About The Author
Cora Gold is a mother and writer who aims to connect with other moms through her experiences with navigating motherhood. Cora is the Editor-in-Chief of Revivalist magazine and writes for sites including For Every Mom, MommyBites and Playground Professionals. When she’s not writing about style and beauty for her magazine, Revivalist, she loves to share her experience with family life. Follow Cora on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
