3 Ways to Get More Sleep With a Newborn
Most parents are prepared for the sleepless newborn phase - you hear A LOT about it when you’re pregnant, but there’s nothing quite like experiencing it yourself for the first time. Luckily there are a few ways to sneak in a few extra minutes of sleep every day.
Take turns with your partner.
As soon as your baby will take a bottle, take turns with the night feedings so you can count on getting a solid stretch of sleep a few times a week. Just the psychological aspect of knowing you will get a break can change your outlook and mood for the better! Keep up this routine throughout all the difficult sleep regressions that are ahead too. Couples often take turns with shifts too - for example one is up with baby until 1am when the other takes over until 6am.
Go to bed when baby goes to bed.
It’s near impossible to ‘sleep when baby sleeps’ all day - but once the end of the day hits, it’s time for you to call it quits too - even if it is at 8pm. Just remember this newborn phase won’t last forever, it’s ok if the house is a little messy for a while and you go to bed with dishes in the sink. Stock pile on those zzz’s when you can and put on your PJs as soon as you get baby ready for bed.
Accept help!
It may be out of character for you to accept help from friends and family but if you get offers — take them! Let your mom or friend watch baby for 2 hours while you take a nap - and don’t feel guilty about it! Fit in blocks of sleep whenever you can and overall you’ll feel more well rested, even if it’s not all in one 5 hour chunk.
