Becoming a parent is an incredible experience. The joy of new life and completing your family is something that can be difficult to compare to. Along with this joy comes something else: a lack of sleep. A newborn lives life on its own time, which means time for sleep can be one of the biggest challenges you face as a new parent.
What is the secret to making it out of life with a newborn alive? You can find some peace of mind that every parent has been through this, but you can also follow these tips below for building sleep habits that will make it easier for everyone:
Use the right bedding
Before you go shopping for bedding, it’s important to consider where your baby will sleep. If you will be using a crib and baby bedding for safe-sleeping practices, you can focus on making your bed a sleep oasis for you. Something that can help you get that restful sleep you need is the best weighted blanket on the market. Designed for optimal comfort, the few hours you’ll sleep at night with this type of blanket will at least be restful ones—just make sure only adults use the weighted blanket, as the weight can be harmful to newborns and children.
Take naps when baby take naps
You may want to take advantage of your baby taking a nap to wash the kitchen dishes or clean the house. Trust us, new parents; all that can wait. What matters now is that you get the rest you need while adapting to life with your brand-new baby.
Babies tend to take a lot of naps during the day, so if you find your night sleep was interrupted, don’t feel ashamed to get to sleep in the daytime when your newborn naps. If you have a lot of outside noise where you live, use an app for peaceful sleep.
Practice sleep habits with baby
Babies adapt to routines and while the first month or two will show no signs of improvement, you’ll get to a point where habits will start working. From trying out methods like self-soothing to incorporating a nighttime ritual that will work for months to come, as well as travel sleep habits, it can be a good idea to start them as soon as possible. While it may take some time for these routines to stick, it will be worth it.
Get outside
If you’re a mom who just gave birth, you’ll need some time to recover and may not feel like leaving the house much. However, once you’re feeling up to it, it can be helpful to get outside. Not only does the sunshine help your circadian rhythm, which can help you with your sleep habits, but some vitamin D can certainly do your mood some good. Plus, walking with your baby can be a bonding experience for the both of you.
Hire a sitter
If you have family and friends in the area, you could consider asking them for help. If not, it could be a good idea to hire a sitter who can allow you to take naps in the day for an extended period, while you can be sure the baby is cared for. While it’s not a sleep habit per se, it’s a way of making sure you get the sleep you need, even if it’s not at night.
In Conclusion
Don’t worry! This phase isn’t forever. The day will come when you and your partner will both be able to sleep during the night. In the meantime, you can find ways to make it work, so that you both are getting a healthy amount of sleep. From hiring help to asking family to babysit every now and then, there are ways you can still get precious moments of sleep, even with a newborn.
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