Table of Contents
Introduction
To sleep with a newborn baby is one of the most difficult things every parent goes through. As much as it is important to take care of the baby and be with them, it is equally important to catch up on some sleep.
While it’s important to get adequate rest, it can be hard to find time to sleep when caring for a newborn. Here are some tips to get enough sleep with a newborn around.
Tips to sleep with a newborn
1. Sleep while the baby sleeps: Yes, the same old cliche thing that everyone with a newborn gets to hear is “Sleep while the baby sleeps”.
Although one cannot sleep every time the baby sleeps as there is other stuff to do like cooking, cleaning, working, etc.
Try and get some sleep while the baby takes a nap. It sure will be tempting to scroll through social media, get the household chores done, etc., but sleep is important.
Sleep while the other parent or someone else takes care of the household chores. So ensure to use the baby’s nap time wisely.
For those mommies who do not have much help or support, at least try to rest while the baby sleeps and take some rest.
2. Ask for help: It is okay to not be able to handle everything on your own. Seek help from friends and family to cook meals which saves a lot of time.
It can be spent taking care of the baby and sleeping while the baby naps is the best way to sleep with a newborn.
3. Do not take pressure: It is more likely for us to fall prey to the pressure around us. People often tend to compare how other people around us take care of the baby and household chores effortlessly.
A house with a newborn cannot always be tidy, and that is absolutely okay.
4. Meal prep: Having nutritious meals with a newborn can be quite hectic. So take an hour or two off from work and meal prep for the entire week.
It can be as simple as planning the meals, getting all the necessary groceries, cutting up the veggies, or anything else that makes the rest of the week better.
This way, the week days can be less hectic with more time to sleep in and rest with the newborn.
5. De-stress: Stress and sleep don’t go hand in hand especially when it comes to sleeping with a newborn. While sleeping with a newborn is a task in itself, there could be days where stress takes over, making it difficult to fall asleep.
It is advised to try some breathing techniques or a warm shower right before bed to help de-stress.
6. Share the nights: Taking shifts in taking care of the baby is yet another way to sleep with a newborn especially if there is family and friends around.
In case of a breastfeeding mom, try pumping and storing the milk so that the person taking care of the baby can feed the baby while the mum rests.
Conclusion
As difficult as it is to sleep with a newborn, keep in mind that this phase only lasts for a few weeks and it only gets better. When the newborn is a bit older, they will sleep for hours together, and the parents can catch up on their much needed sleep.
We highly recommend taking help from family and friends around. Hiring a nanny is also a great idea to take care of the baby during the daytime while the mother can rest and do the household chores at ease.
For more information related to fertility, pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, postpartum, women’s health and gynecology, visit Jammi Scans, T Nagar, Chennai (previously Chennai Women’s Clinic & Scan Centre). For appointments, call 91 73387 71733 or +91 79045 13421.
Chennai Women’s Clinic is now Jammi Scans
