Tips to maximise sleep for new parents
It’s late at night, and you’re both heading off to bed. But just as you thought that you'd have a good night sleep, your boss baby cries. You may have hushed him to sleep, but it’s just the beginning of your sleep-deprived journey. It can be stressful, and you may think you can't handle it anymore.
New parents commonly experience sleep deprivation in the first few weeks of raising their baby. While there’s no instant solution to getting enough sleep, these tips on how new parents can maximize their sleep might help.
Most of the time, babies eat, play, and sleep - and the cycle goes on. But not doing the proper routine for your baby may affect his sleeping pattern. So, how should new parents do it? You should know about the Eat-Wake-Sleep (EWS) cycle. This is an incredible technique that can train your baby to follow a better daily routine. Once your child gets used to the method, he will become predictable. Then, you will know what's going to happen, and eventually, you get more sleep.
Eat. Wake/Play. Sleep. This is how your baby’s routine should flow. You can feed your child immediately when he wakes up. After feeding, your baby can play or engage with other people for a while, and then he can sleep again. With the EWS cycle, you can prevent your baby from doing a wake/play-eat-sleep routine. If your child is used to eating before going to sleep, it can make your baby rely on food in order to sleep.
As new parents, you should know the right time for your child to nap or sleep. Take note that it’s not a good idea to keep your child hyped-up and tired. It can result in over-stimulation and he might have difficulties falling and staying asleep. This is also true if your baby gets little activity or is under-tired. It can only give him short naps.
Create a weekly planner so you can keep track of your baby’s activities. You can also choose to buy a baby timer device like the Pocket Nanny. Finding the right schedule helps your baby take long and effective sleep. You can get more time to sleep too!
Sleep deprivation can disrupt your biological clock. Going out for a walk in the morning lets you expose yourself to natural sunlight. You receive not just vitamin D from the sun, but doing this can reset your circadian rhythm. Exposing your baby to sunlight can also help him to have a regular sleep-wake cycle.
Your sleep is as important as the sleep time of your baby. So, when your little child has gone to dreamland, you should grab the opportunity to get some sleep. Set aside any household chore and TV show. Sneaking in a good rest until the boss baby wakes up can help you sleep more.
There might be times when you observe your baby jerking while he is asleep. This startle reflex can cause your child to wake up suddenly. A tight swaddle can prevent him from startling himself awake. You can use a blanket or a shirt and tightly wrap your baby with the cloth to help him sleep better and longer.
It’s not wrong to admit that you can’t do it alone. Even superheroes need sidekicks to defeat their enemies. Work with your partner or someone you trust to alternate baby duties with you so you can max out your sleep.
White noise is an excellent tool for relaxing and stimulating sleep. This method can be used to help your baby sleep soundly. White noise resembles the sounds your baby heard while he was in his mother’s womb. These sounds can comfort your baby, particularly newborns who are still not familiar with the outside world. Where can you get white noise? You can find various sources of it. Fan sounds are considered one. You can also download free or paid white noise apps and audio files. There are also white noise devices you can buy on the market.
Taking care of a newborn baby isn’t an easy task. As new parents, what you can do is to be patient, look into the bright side and think that your efforts are for your little bundle of joy. These how to maximize sleep tips for new parents can be a big help in your parenthood journey. Soon, your baby will become accustomed to having a sound sleep.
Written by Eulah Mae Millama
New parents commonly experience sleep deprivation in the first few weeks of raising their baby. While there’s no instant solution to getting enough sleep, these tips on how new parents can maximize their sleep might help.
Follow the Eat-Wake-Sleep routine
Most of the time, babies eat, play, and sleep - and the cycle goes on. But not doing the proper routine for your baby may affect his sleeping pattern. So, how should new parents do it? You should know about the Eat-Wake-Sleep (EWS) cycle. This is an incredible technique that can train your baby to follow a better daily routine. Once your child gets used to the method, he will become predictable. Then, you will know what's going to happen, and eventually, you get more sleep.
Eat. Wake/Play. Sleep. This is how your baby’s routine should flow. You can feed your child immediately when he wakes up. After feeding, your baby can play or engage with other people for a while, and then he can sleep again. With the EWS cycle, you can prevent your baby from doing a wake/play-eat-sleep routine. If your child is used to eating before going to sleep, it can make your baby rely on food in order to sleep.
Find the right nap or sleep schedule for your baby
As new parents, you should know the right time for your child to nap or sleep. Take note that it’s not a good idea to keep your child hyped-up and tired. It can result in over-stimulation and he might have difficulties falling and staying asleep. This is also true if your baby gets little activity or is under-tired. It can only give him short naps.
Create a weekly planner so you can keep track of your baby’s activities. You can also choose to buy a baby timer device like the Pocket Nanny. Finding the right schedule helps your baby take long and effective sleep. You can get more time to sleep too!
Enjoy a good dose of sunshine
Sleep deprivation can disrupt your biological clock. Going out for a walk in the morning lets you expose yourself to natural sunlight. You receive not just vitamin D from the sun, but doing this can reset your circadian rhythm. Exposing your baby to sunlight can also help him to have a regular sleep-wake cycle.
Get some sleep when your child sleeps
Your sleep is as important as the sleep time of your baby. So, when your little child has gone to dreamland, you should grab the opportunity to get some sleep. Set aside any household chore and TV show. Sneaking in a good rest until the boss baby wakes up can help you sleep more.
Swaddle your baby
There might be times when you observe your baby jerking while he is asleep. This startle reflex can cause your child to wake up suddenly. A tight swaddle can prevent him from startling himself awake. You can use a blanket or a shirt and tightly wrap your baby with the cloth to help him sleep better and longer.
Get help from someone you trust
It’s not wrong to admit that you can’t do it alone. Even superheroes need sidekicks to defeat their enemies. Work with your partner or someone you trust to alternate baby duties with you so you can max out your sleep.
Use white noise
White noise is an excellent tool for relaxing and stimulating sleep. This method can be used to help your baby sleep soundly. White noise resembles the sounds your baby heard while he was in his mother’s womb. These sounds can comfort your baby, particularly newborns who are still not familiar with the outside world. Where can you get white noise? You can find various sources of it. Fan sounds are considered one. You can also download free or paid white noise apps and audio files. There are also white noise devices you can buy on the market.
Taking care of a newborn baby isn’t an easy task. As new parents, what you can do is to be patient, look into the bright side and think that your efforts are for your little bundle of joy. These how to maximize sleep tips for new parents can be a big help in your parenthood journey. Soon, your baby will become accustomed to having a sound sleep.
Written by Eulah Mae Millama
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