Parenthood is sort of like a club, and sleep deprivation is your initiation into it. You haven’t slept since sometime in 2017? You’re definitely one of us, then. Welcome to the club.
Everyone knows that sleep deprivation is a given for new parents. That said, there are some instances of sleep deprivation that can be avoided. Consider the following 5 tips and tricks to help new parents get more sleep:
1. Don’t Share Covers With Your Partner
There are several things you can do to minimise the chances that you and your partner will awaken each other at night. For starters, don’t share covers with each other. You can each use separate quilts and bed linens, which will completely eliminate the problem of nighttime tug-of-war blanket battles. This will also give each of you the option to choose the blanket material that would be the most comfortable for your individual needs.
2. Take Advantage of Memory Foam Technology
You’ll also want to consider sleeping on a memory foam mattress such as the ones you can find at this link. This is helpful because you and your partner won’t feel each other’s motions when the two of you share a memory foam surface. With a memory foam mattress, one of you can get out of bed to take care of the baby without the other one getting woken up due to the motion of a box spring mattress.
3. Let Bub Share Your Bedroom
Room sharing with your baby has many benefits. At night, decreasing the distance between you and your newborn can make a big difference in how much sleep you both get. You’ll spend far less total time going back and forth to feed the baby if the baby is sleeping right there in your room with you. When your baby’s cot is in your room, Bub will probably feel safer and less lonely, and will likely cry less. You’ll also be able to better monitor how the baby is sleeping, which is beneficial for preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
4. Turn Off Your Devices
When your baby finally falls asleep, it would be an error to grab your phone or tablet and start checking your social media feeds. Instead, recognise the opportunity for what it is: It’s the ideal time to catch a quick nap.
Not only can your devices distract you from sleeping at times like this, the blue light they emit might also interfere with your sleep hormones. This can make it harder for you to fall asleep. The latest expert recommendation is to avoid contact with screens for at least one hour before you want to go to sleep.
5. Turn a Blind Eye to Your Household Mess
Dirty dishes will accumulate in the sink, and soiled laundry will pile up all over the place. But, given a choice between loading the dishwasher and sleeping, you’re better off choosing to sleep. If your loved ones offer their assistance, gladly take them up on it; request that they help you with these sorts of mundane household chores so you can avoid extreme sleep deprivation.
These 5 tips won’t immediately help you return to getting 8 un-interrupted hours of sleep every night; however, these tips could at least help you to make the most of any opportunities you do have to sleep. It won’t be terribly long before your wee one will start sleeping all the way through the night. Take comfort in this assurance that the sleep deprivation you’re experiencing as a new parent will not last forever.
