There’s nothing more amazing in life than the arrival of a newborn baby. They brighten up our lives and give us tremendous amounts of energy. Bedtime has got to be one of the hardest things to battle when you have a newborn. And it isn’t as simple as laying them down in a comfortable cot.
You have to cope with the constant waking up and crying, the endless moaning for milk, and the never-ending scream of a baby who is ill. You can kiss your full night’s sleep goodbye – or so you think. Here is a little guide of how you can get more sleep after the arrival of your newborn.
Take it in turns
It makes a lot of sense to take it in turns with the waking up and providing your baby with milk. It’s as simple as this. One night, the dad gets up and does the feed, and the next is the mother’s turn. One evening off and one night on is a shift pattern that will allow both mother and father to catch up on much-needed sleep. And if you breastfeed your baby, then pump your milk into a bottle before you go to bed so that it is ready for father and baby to bond on his shift.
Separate rooms
This works in conjunction with the previous mentioned shift pattern. Have a separate room for the parent and child so that they can get up for the late night feed without disturbing the other parent. Have the baby cots and cotbeds on one side of the room and the parent bed on the other.
This way you can be rest assured that your child is safe and sound as you sleep. Also, take it in turns for having a lie in. One morning is for the mother to have a lie in, and the next morning is the father. Having a newborn baby is like a present from God, but it’s a gift that needs to be shared.
Power snacking
We’ve all had those night where it seems like nobody has had any sleep at all. Those nights where crying has been heard all night and the bottles of milk have never been ending. The day after seems like one long chore. Well, I advise you to snack your way through the day. Have plenty of high energy snacks and you will be feeling a little better throughout the day, and you won’t be as grumpy as usual.
Go to bed early
Another good tip is to go to sleep when the kids do. This may seem hard. There may be a list of things that need to be done – but leave them for the next day, or get them done earlier than you would. Going to bed when the kids do will allow you some extra time to get some much-needed sleep. And you’ll wake up the next day feeling nice and refreshed.
Follow these tips and you’ll be getting much more sleep after the arrival of your newborn. Remember, share the task at hand and share rest between parents. We all need as much sleep as possible, and this can be achieved by going to bed at the same time as the kids.
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