Motherhood is a little different from what you had in mind. No doubt you love your little munchkin more than you could ever have imagined but look you have not had a good night sleep in weeks or maybe months and this sleep deprivation is not going to go away anytime soon until you make it run away.
It’s not easy to care for your baby when you are sleep deprived. It may also be dangerous. Imagine driving your infant to the paediatrician while you are lacking sleep! Sleep deprivation can also cause postpartum mood swings for new mothers.
So here are some strategies that could help you catch on some extra ZZZs in order to support your child health in the best possible refreshing manner.
Lie Down! Even if you can’t sleep
Get off your feet, put your phone aside and go some extra relaxed on your bed. It will help you get some rest if not sleep. Avoid taking stress if you find yourself unable to fall asleep. Just lying down for 30 to 60 minutes on your cosy couch can be very restorative for mind and eyes of course.
Sleep When The Baby Sleeps!
Baby is finally gonna get some shut-eye, why aren’t you? “Sleep while the baby sleeps” may sound blissful to the new moms. Babies take frequent naps that usually last for 2 to 4 hours, so it makes a total of 16 to 18 hours of sleep per day. New parents are extremely sleep deprived if the only sleep they are getting is overnight sleep. Do not use this time to do laundry, to make phone calls or to catch up on your favourite Netflix series, but rather try to catch a nap while your baby is getting some shuteye. It will be restorative and revitalizing for your physical and mental state.
Rule Out Underlying Sleep Disorders
Short but frequent naps can revive you somewhat, but if they don’t, figure out the underlying sleep disorder that must be treated. Sleep disorders like sleep apnea (pauses in breathing while sleeping) is very common among new mothers because of the weight they gain during pregnancy. So figuring out these sleep disorders can help you get back to your bedtime routine with your little bunch of happiness.
Develop An Amnesty Agreement
Sleep deprivation can find a way to bring out an emotionally unstable person in you. So the best way to combat this is to develop an agreement with your partner. This agreement will somewhat help you restore your sour and jumbled mood due to sleeplessness. For instance, if your baby is on bottle feed, ask your partner to take on some of the feedings. This way it can help distribute some of the burdens. Along with this, try to share some of the household responsibilities as much as you can.
Say “No” To Extra Responsibilities
There will definitely be times when you will guilty or embarrassed on your own for not spending enough time with your other kids especially the eldest one. You may sometimes plan to go on a trip with them, tired and exhausted. Think twice before taking this extra responsibility and keep your eyes on the positive side that after some time you’re going to be able to go anywhere you want with them.
Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene practice includes some strategies that can help you get some rest. Avoid taking caffeine while you are fighting your sleeplessness as this stimulant can even interfere with your sleep cycle by making you stay awake.
You might have planned to post recent pictures of your baby on social media while going to bed, but using a mobile phone or electronic gadgets at bedtime can interfere with your whole sleep time. Gadgets can disturb your body clock insanely.
Making a routine and then sticking to it will help you eat properly on time and put your phone aside when you go to sleep.
We hope you find these tips helpful. If you have any suggestions or questions please do talk to us in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.
Vaishnavi Venkatraman
Tarun Sakhrani
Rushita Sheth
KSP Team
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