Being a new mom is an incredible experience. No feeling compares to having your own precious little human being in your arms, defenseless, innocent, and all yours. There is just one thing that is spoiling it for you, and that’s the lack of sleep. You are trying to convince yourself and the rest of your family that you are handling everything perfectly fine. When, in fact, all you have on your mind is whether you may actually get a few hours sleep tonight. It’s hard work, but eventually it will get better. Here is how you can improve the situation. If the baby gets some sleep, then you can too.
You need to perfect the routine. You should follow this every night, in order for them to settle quickly. This could involve giving them a wash, getting them changed into their baby grow and tucking them into bed. Then you could spend a little bit of time with them before you leave. You should let them fall asleep in their cot, rather than in your arms, to avoid them getting attached to this way of falling to sleep. There are methods of helping with this. You could try singing a soothing lullaby. Alternatively you could look into getting a sound machine to help you out. You can read reviews on these devices, a Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine is often recommended.
Once you have got into a rhythm of getting them to sleep at a decent time, you need to faze out the waking up in the night. Initially, you will be straight up whenever you hear a peep from them. This, of course, is expected, you are there to protect them so have every reason to worry about them like this. However, you will soon realize that often they don’t actually need anything and are better left to drift off to sleep again. If you pick them up, they will only wake more. When you first hear them, give them a few minutes. If they calm down and go back to sleep, then so can you! If they persist, then it is time to go and check on them.
Helping your baby get some more rest is a guaranteed way of getting some more sleep yourself. However, the most effective way to catch up on your sleep is to let go of your pride and just ask for some help. If you have a partner, ask them if they will take turns with you in the night to go on check on them. If you have a really lovely relative, they might take your baby off your hands for the night so you can catch up on your kip. A solid night of sleep will make you feel a hundred times better. You might be surprised how willing to help out your family might be.
In order to enjoy your time with your new baby in the day, you have to sort out the nights! As hard as it is not to sit next to their crib and watch over them all night, it just isn’t healthy for you or the baby. Follow this advice and you might just get some hard-earned rest!
