Sleeping is something we do every night. It’s something our body demands of us, so we don’t even need to get into a routine to make sure we hit the hay each night. But when you’re a new parent, when you’ve got a human life depending on you to take care of them 24/7, there’s a very good chance you’re going to be trudging around bleary-eyed for the next year or so! But with a little practice? This could change!
We’ve already indulged in a few bath time tips, so now’s the time to follow up suit: bedtime tips, but mostly for you rather than the little one! Whilst their bedtime can be just as much of a struggle, as soon as they’re in a routine, they’re going to be just fine with dropping in and out of sleep. But you, on the other hand? It’s probably not going to be as simple! So with that in mind, check out these tips for making sure you can start getting the good night’s rest you deserve.
Imagine being all tucked up and snug like this… wouldn’t that be amazing?
Make Sure There’s a Routine
If you don’t have one going already, now’s the time to start practicing one. Without a routine, your baby is never going to settle down at the times you need them to, and that makes sleeping hard for everyone involved in the process. Of course, you know when your baby gets hungry and tired and cranky, and you follow those moods to make sure your child is happy and healthy, but they need to evolve into a permanent pattern. Usually, this happens by itself, but try not to deviate from this too much.
It doesn’t make you a bad parent if every other Mom or Dad out there always seems to be glowing and smiling, and their babies are quietly kipping in their prams as they get pushed along the street. You can follow along with some infant bedtime tips if you’re struggling with this, or if your baby seems to be incredibly random in their wants no matter what you try. They’re individuals after all, and if you’re someone who’s quite picky, chances are they are too!
Take Every Opportunity to Lie Down
Even if you’re not feeling particularly tired at the moment, as a new parent, you need every chance properly to exercise your right to sleep. So lie down, switch off your phone, keep the TV on standby, and see if you can drift off. Chances are that your body is trying to get used to being awake nearly 24/7, and that makes you seem like you’re bright-eyed and wide awake; in actual fact, your brain is screaming for some more sleep!
Even if you just have five minutes before you need to get something down, or before the infant is due their next feed, lay down on the sofa and let yourself relax. Lying down by itself is incredible for your body, and can mean you don’t have as much ache in your feet as you did yesterday. Let your body do what it needs to repair in a calm environment, and don’t feel guilty that you’re not using this time to get something else in the house done. Your body’s health is far more important than any of those tasks!
Keep Your Baby Closer to You
This could be a good time for you to splash out a little money and get yourself a bassinet that can neatly stand alongside your own bed. This can help massively for nighttime feedings, as you don’t have to drag yourself out of your room; you don’t even have to leave your bed. You simply sit up, scoop the baby into your arms, get to feeding, put them back, and drop them off again. It couldn’t be easier to keep the sleep in your eyes and not lose any of the grogginess that you really need to get back to sleep again after moving around in the middle of the night!
Yes, you’ve decorated an entire nursery up for your child, and moving them into a cot in your room might put that to waste, but this is for the good of your health. And when the baby stops waking up in the middle of the night and can go through to the morning without needing to feed, you can put them back in their own room.
New parent? Get some more quality sleep!
I’m not a parent myself, but I found out just yesterday that one of my best friends is going to have a baby! She’s due in December, so I will forward this over to her for a little read – I’m sure she’ll find it helpful 🙂 x
Having a newborn can be brutal! I love your tip about keeping the baby close, especially if you’re nursing. It helps so much!
Helpful tips! Not a mom yet but these are the things my sister follows when my niece was little. Now my niece love her afternoon nap with me.
With my first, we kept him in bed with us, he would sleep lots as long as he was with us. With my second, I tried extra hard to get her on a routine and in her own bed. She definitely was more independent at a younger age when it came to bedtime. But this also meant less sleep for me, since I would have to get up to go nurse her.
Having a routine is the key and keeping to it so both mother and child get enough rest. Great tips.
A routine is so important in those first few years. My second child had colic and rarely slept, but when she did, so did I!
I love that you added in a routine. I definitely had to have a routine when my kids were little. It is very helpful!
I remember when my son was a baby. He hardly slept! But I and my husband is a good team. We work hard to manage my son’s sleep habit.
The tips are quite practical and could be readily implemented by anyone. The importance of Sleep for both mother and child cannot be understated.