Written by Allen Brown.
If you’re a new parent, you probably already know how precious and hard sleep is to come by. If you’re about to be a parent or are planning on it, it’s still good to know that when people complain about not getting enough rest, the rumors aren’t false. Being a parent is a full-time job, so even in the middle of the night, you’ll be expected to do your duties.
This can take a toll on you long-term as sleep is vital to living a healthy and active life. You need to feel rested not only for yourself but to provide good parenting for your child. If you’re a new parent or expecting, here are some excellent tips on getting enough sleep and handling parenthood.
Look for Sleep Courses
What exactly is a sleep course? A sleep course is a training method that can help you (or your baby) sleep better. This baby sleep miracle review shows how it can help your newborn, which in turn, helps you. Otherwise, you should also be practicing better sleep hygiene, which means learning how to develop a routine, sticking to your pre-determined schedule, and knowing what not to do before bed. Remember to put away the electronics 15 minutes or more before you lay your head down to rest.
Talk About Sleep Issues with Your Partner
You might be concerned about your sleep pattern and not getting enough rest. In this case, you should always relay your concerns to your partner. Being a parent is tough, and it’s easier when you and your partner work together. Knowing how to bring these issues up with them and work on solutions for how to collaborate or work on sleep hygiene, sleep schedule, and daily tasks can help you feel more rested and less stressed knowing that you are a duo working towards the same goal, and it goes both ways. You want to listen to your partner’s concerns with sleep as well.
Don’t Feel Bad About Focusing on Yourself
It’s also not a time to get too hung up on pride and ego. You’re going to be busy as a new parent, so blowing off a hangout with friends, or deciding on limiting the number of take-home tasks and work you do isn’t going to reflect poorly on you. Parenting is tough, and again, it’s a full-time job in itself, so focusing on keeping yourself happy and healthy, while simultaneously providing for your baby, is nothing to feel ashamed or guilty of. You need to prioritize your health as a new parent.
Match Your Sleep Schedule With Your Baby
Babies have a habit of waking up whenever they want. They don’t understand as much as us, they can’t control their urges, and they don’t have the luxury of developing a sleep schedule, so being able to match up your schedule with your baby is not easy, but it can be done. Taking time to figure out the most frequent hours of the night that your child wakes up hungry or needing to be burped, changed, etc. is invaluable in allowing you to make your schedule more flexible so you can sleep when they sleep. It’s also advised that you become a master at power naps to sneak in as much rest as you can throughout the day.
Don’t Worry About Being Right Next to Your Baby
Baby monitors exist for a reason, so you need to get one, but you shouldn’t feel like you have to be tethered to the nursery or sit next to your baby’s bed all night. It’s okay to distance yourself and attend to them when they need it. If you don’t think your baby is crying, then they probably aren’t, and you should get rest when you can. Likewise, work in shifts with your partner.
Ask for Help
Lastly, if your sleeping problems persist beyond normal concerns, you should go speak to your doctor. Some problems that could be at play are postpartum depression, which can sap energy and make you feel like you’re not getting enough sleep when you actually are. It could be a dietary problem, or potentially a medical issue like insomnia. Whatever it may be if your lack of sleep continues and it starts to impact your parenting duties and your health, consult your doctor.
A lack of sleep is part of the learning curve of becoming a parent, but if you use these top ways to stay rested, you can still provide love and care for your baby and your partner without sacrificing on rest.
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