Being a parent means that you’ll be handling new responsibilities, experiences, and sadly, it also means that you’ll be getting less sleep. Finding the time to rest is a big problem, especially for working parents who barely have enough sleep as it is. That’s why we created this list of tips on how to deal with sleep deprivation after baby arrives (courtesy of our moms and dads on theAsianparent Community) to help parents get as much rest as they can throughout the day!
5 Tips on how to deal with sleep deprivation after baby arrives
1. The earlier your child sleeps, the better
Mother of one, Jamie Koh, shares this awesome tip for parents who aren’t getting enough sleep: “The earlier your child can sleep through the night, the better sleep you will have. Generally, the first month is the most tiring because they wake up every 2 to 3 hours.”
Great advice! It’s better to let your child sleep early so that as soon as they fall asleep, you can get some much needed rest for yourself. Though as Jamie shares, it will really be a struggle during the first month.
2. Multitask!
Mummy Evelyn Cheo gives us her advice for mums who don’t get enough sleep: “For breastfeeding mums who breastfeed their babies at night, you can co-sleep with your baby and feed your baby while lying on your side so that you can sleep and feed your baby at the same time. Your sleep will definitely be deprived as a new parent. Hang on. It will only get better.”
That’s pretty smart! Babies usually fall asleep during or after breastfeeding, and if you’re already in bed, then you can just take a nap while your baby sleeps.
3. Sleep whenever your baby is sleeping
Diana Lai shares her tip for getting enough sleep as a mum: “Sleep whenever your baby is sleeping. This is very true to get enough rest especially during the first 2 months as your body is still recuperating. If you have older kids at home, try to get other family member to help when it is necessary so you can catch a good sleep at night.”
Makes a lot of sense. Sleeping whenever your baby is sleeping helps you get the rest that you need to make it through the day. It might not be the same as getting a full 8 hours of sleep in a day, but it’s better than not getting any sleep at all.
4. Create a sleep routine for your baby
Divya Sharma gives us wonderful advice when it comes to getting enough rest: “Until some time ago, I just managed to get 3-4 hours of sleep. However, it’s all about creating a routine and getting your child to follow it. Once that is done, you can match your sleeping time with that of the baby.”
Having a routine really helps you get enough sleep. It will be difficult during the first month as your child won’t yet have a fully developed sleep cycle, but once it’s developed, then things will be a lot better.
5. Ask for help!
Marielle, a mother of one, shares her strategy when it comes to getting enough sleep: “We’re currently living in my parents’ home and whenever me and my husband feel like we really need to sleep, we ask my mother to take care of my son when we really can’t get him to go back to sleep.”
This is really great advice, especially if you desperately need to get sleep. Asking someone else to take care of your child from time to time would really give you much needed rest and a time to wind down and de-stress.
Sources: babycenter.com
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