How To Tackle Sleep Deprivation As A New Mother
For those of you who say that being a new mom is a full-time job, you’re wrong. It’s essentially two full-time jobs with back-to-back hours. We’re talking day shift and night shift, and then right back to the harsh, light of day once again.
It’s not uncommon for young mothers to lose hours of sleep every night from bringing your new child home, right up till their sixth birthdays, and potentially beyond! How well your child sleeps is not only highly dependant on your child’s individual personality, but also whether you are willing to try things like cosleeping beds and nighttime routines.
Now is the time to master these quick tips for combating sleep deprivation before you are too tired to even read this post.
Keep Active
This can be as simple as taking your baby out in a stroller and catching some morning sun. Fresh air is a great way to keep yourself feeling happy and healthy, and strollers permit that, whilst also ensuring that your baby stays nice and comfortable.
Consider a sturdy stroller with a flexible hood for sun protection, as well as plenty of storage space for food, water, and comfort items like toys and blankets. Providing your baby with all these simple necessities when you’re taking a stroll will keep the experience very positive and enjoyable for your young one. Making these walks an established part of your personal day will also do more for your health than you might think.
The benefits of walking for just thirty minutes every day include a decreased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and depression, as well as an increase in your emotional well-being and capacity for creative thinking. Walking will both help clear your head, as well as provide your baby with enough mental stimulation to aid in the development of their circadian rhythm, two factors which will both play pivotal roles in providing you with a better night’s sleep so you can avoid sleep deprivation.
Create A Daily Schedule
This ties in with the development of your baby’s circadian rhythm. Sleep patterns aren’t something that can be taught, and sleep training your baby is not only damaging to your baby’s brain, but it’s also determinantal to you and your baby’s long term relationship. Many studies are now proving the dangers of sleep training or letting baby “cry it out”. Just don’t do it!
The most effective way to prepare your baby for sleeping through the night is to create a daily routine that lets your baby know it’s getting close to bedtime. Usually, an hour or even 30 minutes before bedtime, doing things like dimming all the lights, rocking them, giving them a calm bath, diffusing lavender essential oil or other essential oils for kids, and singing lullabies can help signify that bedtime is coming. Doing this bedtime routine at the same time every day will help them mentally prepare for bedtime and calm their bodies down.
Once baby is older than 6 months old, it’s important to give them plenty of active/outdoor time, expose them to daylight in the morning so they feel awake, and keep them active and stimulated throughout the day so that when bedtime rolls around, they’ll naturally feel ready to rest. If you really want to sleep through the night, we highly recommend cosleeping!!!!!
The development of a consistent daily schedule and bedtime routine might not deliver immediate results, but it will definitely provide a foundation upon which your baby will be able to develop a healthy circadian rhythm in no time at all and help you avoid sleep deprivation.
Feel Free To Take A Break
As a new mom, you shouldn’t feel expected to spend every waking minute with your new baby. In fact, for every parenting book that advocates you spend every second with your new baby, there’s a veteran mom who swears by asking for help when you need it to avoid sleep deprivation. Your mental health is more important than doing everything ‘by the book’, and you’ll soon come to realize that there’s no set manual for navigating motherhood.
Ask your parents or in-laws for a day or two off so that you can feel free to be yourself every now and then. And you’ll be happy to hear that your days off will be just as beneficial for your baby as they will be for you! Encouraging your baby to spend time with their grandparents or other family members, will provide your baby with a wider understanding of their family community, as well as ensuring that your baby feels comfortable around new people.
Being a new mom comes with enough challenges as it is, which is why tackling sleep deprivation can be as simple as practicing self-care and using the support of your wider community to make motherhood that little bit easier. And yes, it’s two full-time jobs back-to-back and nothing is likely to change that. Just keep in mind that you shouldn’t ever have to feel like it’s your job and your job alone.