5 Tips to Help New Parents Get More Sleep

For new parents, sleep deprivation is real. It will only be a temporary condition for you – although, as a new mum, it is possible that it may be an ongoing issue in your life for a full six years after you’ve given birth.

While it is entirely normal for new mums to get less sleep than usual, it isn’t necessarily a healthy or desirable state of affairs. Sleeplessness isn’t ideal – especially because there are some simple things you can do to minimise your sleepless nights as a new parent.

1. Caffeinate Correctly

Caffeine is a new mum’s best friend – but it can also be your worst enemy.

Why?

Because -- scientific fact -- caffeine consumed late in the day can disrupt your ability to sleep when you’re ready to go to bed. You wouldn’t think that consuming a couple of cups of coffee at 4 PM could possibly have any effect on your ability to doze off six hours later. But it does.

The main takeaway: If you drink coffee, energy drinks or tea, do it in the morning and taper off your consumption after noon. This will help you to avoid a situation where the caffeine you consume is hindering you from falling asleep when you actually have the opportunity to do so.

2. Nap When You Can

You know that tired old advice about sleeping when your child sleeps? It’s nonsense, mostly. Your child’s naptime is probably going to be your best opportunity to get the most urgent item on your to do list done.

If you’re actually able to be productive when your baby is napping, fantastic. Carry on.

BUT!

If you find yourself using your baby’s nap time to scroll through Instagram, play Farmville or catch up on your missed soap operas, you should seriously consider using that time to take a nap instead.

3. Simplify Your Old Routine

Maybe your cooking puts Donna Hay’s to shame under ordinary circumstances, and your home is usually tidier than Marie Kondo’s. It doesn’t matter. When you’re a new mum, trying to keep up with the way you used to do things would be a mistake. Cooking and cleaning needn’t be your top priorities in the weeks immediately following the birth of your newborn.

When you’re a new mum, you absolutely need to prioritise sleep, even if it means slacking off a bit on other important things like housework. You hereby have our permission to skip cooking five-course meals, or even two-course meals. Or even cooking at all, if you can make a sandwich, order takeaway or talk your partner into doing the cooking.

Soon enough, your bub will be sleeping through the night. At that point, you can re-evaluate what your new routine will look like, and how high you want to prioritise things like elaborate home-cooked meals.

4. Limit Sleep Disturbances

Are you waking your partner every time you get up to feed the baby? Or does your partner wake you up frequently just by moving around in bed? It’s possible that a mattress topper could help to fix that situation. Specifically, a memory foam mattress topper is ideal for this, because the foam’s cushioning can reduce the effects either one of you will feel from this type of disturbance.

You’ll typically feel each motion your partner makes on a regular box spring mattress; but, in contrast, a memory foam mattress topper doesn’t transfer movement. This can be a helpful solution for sleep-deprived parents who don’t want to wake each other at night.

5. Invite Help

Do you have family or friends who are keen to meet your new bub and spend time with him? Encourage this. If Grandma wants to take your baby for a stroll in the park, agree to it. If Auntie wants to take Bub shopping for some new duds or toys, let her. These outings could be your golden opportunity to stay home and sneak in a nap. If all else fails, you can pay a babysitter to come and take care of your baby for a bit while you sleep.

These 5 tips can help you increase the amount of sleep you’re able to get as a new parent. Do keep in mind that your current sleepless state is going to be temporary. All too soon, your sweet, sleep-thieving newborn will transform into a toddler, then a child, then a teenager. It will astonish you how quickly this will all happen. In the meanwhile press on, cherish every moment of your parenthood journey, and grab as much sleep as you realistically can along the way.