How To Get Proper Sleep After Childbirth

All your dreams get fulfilled when you bring a new life into this world. There are celebrations, excitement, and whatnot! Everyone sends in their heartfelt wishes and also, plenty of suggestions. However, most forget to advise on the upcoming irregularity in your sleeping patterns that you’ll face as a parent for the next few months. To be honest, the only advice you might come across is to sleep when your little one does. So, is it the only escape plan you’ve got to recover from all the exhaustion of the day?

In this article, we’ll discuss a few ways to introduce sleep into your daily routine, that can help you care for your baby without missing out on it. So let’s get started.

8 Ways To Get Back Your Healthy Sleep Cycle

Sleep deprivation is a common issue for new parents, especially after childbirth. It can be challenging to adjust to the lack of sleep, and it can often lead to feelings of exhaustion, irritability, and anxiety. But there are ways you can cope with this lack of sleep so that you don’t feel overwhelmed or stressed out. Here are the 8 tips on how to get through those sleepless nights:

1. Prioritize Daylight

Get outside and expose yourself to daylight. That’s right, by simply stepping out into the sunshine for at least 15 minutes per day or sitting near an open window during daylight hours, you can help reset your circadian rhythm so that both you and your baby are sleeping soundly through the night.

2. Take Shifts

Parenting is no easy feat, but planning and taking shifts when caring for a newborn overnight can benefit greatly from more quality sleep. Both parents must be on the same page about how they will handle nighttime duties for their baby. This could mean taking turns getting up with the baby or having one partner stay up all night while the other sleeps in another room, whatever works best for your family dynamic.

3. Copy Your Baby’s Sleep Time

When the baby sleeps, you should too! Copying your baby’s sleep time can be an effective way to get more relaxation to stay healthy and sane as a new parent. It also allows for much-needed “me-time” during those hours when your baby is napping or sleeping at nighttime, something every busy mom deserves but rarely gets. This extra free time allows you to catch up on tasks around the house such as laundry or meal prep while also allowing some space and freedom from parental responsibilities.

4. More Power To Power Naps

Power naps provide short bursts of rest that allow you to recharge your battery without sacrificing too much of your day. A 20-minute nap gives just enough restorative benefits without leaving you feeling groggy afterward like longer sleep can do. It also helps clear up the mental fog and boosts productivity so that when it comes time for bedtime, there won’t be any more excuses.

5. Keep Yourself Hydrated

When you are dehydrated you become fatigued more easily which makes getting through those long days as a new parent even harder. So make sure to drink at least eight glasses per day to stay properly hydrated and energized when caring for your little ones.

6. Don’t Introduce New Chores

It may be tempting to use your precious free time working on projects around the house or playing with your kids. But these activities should come second when you’re not getting adequate rest. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body will begin showing signs of fatigue like headaches and irritability. So next time you feel yourself starting to run low on energy reserves remember this: Sleep first, work later.

7. Make Lifestyle Automated

Automation makes life much simpler by taking away mundane tasks like grocery shopping or scrubbing toilets. So why not try it for a few months when your baby needs more attention than ever and you need ample sleep to give it to them consistently? You can start by investing in robot vacuum cleaners to help you wipe the floors. Add a food service to get your meal on time when you don’t feel like making it. Use the time saved to sleep and recharge yourself effectively.

8. Avoid Overthinking

When your mind becomes too preoccupied with thoughts of parenthood, you often find yourself unable to relax or even effortlessly close your eyes. This leads you down a rabbit hole where you start worrying about all the things that need to be done tomorrow as well as what may have been forgotten today. So keep aside your favorite talent and focus more on getting a good number of sleep hours.

The first few months after childbirth can be overwhelming and pretty exhausting for any new mother. But hopefully, these few steps will help you recover your lost energy and sleep cycle effortlessly. Do let us know in the comment section below if you’d manage your sleeping pattern while taking care of your little one 24×7. Way to go super moms!

Sources

1. Short sleep duration is associated with inadequate hydration: cross-cultural evidence from US and Chinese adults, NCBI
2. Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep, and mood, NCBI
3. Sleep disturbance in mental health problems and neurodegenerative disease, NCBI

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