Is your newborn keeping you awake at night?
Learn how to cope with these simple steps.
It’s
a fact of life hat sleepless babies mean sleepless parents.
It’s a fact of life hat sleepless babies
mean sleepless parents. One of the biggest challenges fro you and your spouse
when caring for your new baby is learning to cope with the lack of sleep,
especially in the first four months when it’s too soon to sleep-train her.
Your husband complains that he struggles to
focus at work, and even though you’re on maternity leave, you’re also exhausted
at home. You’re both cranky, and this is affecting your relationship. It’s time
to regain control of your lives.
Split the work: There’s no need for the two
of you to get up during the night to feed or settle your newborn. Set up a
simple schedule so that both of you will get adequate rest. Even if you’re
breastfeeding, you’ll probably be able to express milk so that Hubby can give
the baby a bottle feed during the night.
Accept help from relatives or friends who
offer to look after your baby for a new hours. A good babysitter can also serve
the same purpose. But if the grandparents offer to take her for an overnight
stay, take advantage of such an opportunity. Having some time to yourself helps
lower your stress levels and you’ll feel more energized afterwards. Even if you
can't sleep during these brief times when she’s in someone else’s care, the
rest and relaxation will do you good.
Accept
help from relatives or friends who offer to look after your baby for a new
hours.
Get forty winks before your delightful
little baby arrived, both of you probably had a fixed sleeping pattern. In the
meantime, to compensate physically for these disturbed nights, take short naps
– even if you only shut your eyes for five minutes – whenever you can. Instead
of rushing around to complete household chores the moment your baby nods off
during the day, put your feet up and try to nap yourself. You’ll be amazed at
how a short nap can revive you.
Prioritize when it comes to routine jobs
around the house, cut down on all unnecessary tasks. Those sleepless nights
with your new baby mean that you’ll have less ability to concentrate on daily
activities and less energy to complete routine cleaning. So just give some of
them a miss – they can wait until tomorrow or even be omitted altogether. For
instance, you’ll both survive if the dining room isn’t dusted every week!
Get
forty winks before your delightful little baby arrived, both of you probably
had a fixed sleeping pattern.
Take it in stride: bear in mind that no
matter how stressed you and your spouse feel about the lack of sleep at the
moment, this phase is only temporary. Be positive and look forward to the more
restful months ahead. Rest assured that your baby’s sleep patterns will
gradually improve over the next few months, and your life will steadily return
to normal.
