Tips for Sleep Deprivation with a Newborn
If you’ve found this blog post, you’re likely either deep in the depths of sleep deprivation, or you’re preparing to be with a baby on the way. So let me first say: the lack of sleep is temporary. Especially if you find yourself in the first category, it can really feel like you’ll never sleep again. You will. I promise. But in the meantime, some strategies to maximize your mood and energy can be very helpful. As a seasoned mom of 3, birth and postpartum doula, here are a few tricks I’ve picked up along the way. (Hear me out on the last point!)
Eat a nutritious diet. This may surprise you, but this might be the most important piece. A nutritious diet simply means focusing on whole foods. You don’t need to get fancy - just focus on foods with less ingredients in them. If the only ingredient is the food itself, even better. So fruits, veggies, meats. Of course there may be some chips and fast food sprinkled in there too, because this is real life. But focus on prioritizing the foods that will give you the most sustainable energy.
Only do the absolute necessities. When you’re running on just a few hours of broken sleep, you don’t need to reorganize your kitchen cabinets. Or clean out the storage room. Or offer to throw your sister a baby shower. We are only worrying about the absolute necessities…the social outings can wait. Which leads me to my next point.
Cancel plans. And do so with zero guilt. Here’s a script you can feel free to use - “I was really looking forward to seeing you. I need to cancel, however, because I have to prioritize rest right now”. Your loved ones will understand. For an added bonus, add on “If you’d like to come over sometime to chat over a cup of tea, and then watch the baby while I shower, I wouldn’t say no!” Win/Win ;) and on THAT note…
Ask for help. Whether that be your mom staying the night once a week to watch the baby while you sleep for a full night, or a friend coming over for a couple of hours in the afternoon so that you can nap…every little bit helps. This is absolutely the time to call in your village. And don’t worry about putting someone out by asking. People love being asked, it tells them that you value their help.
Prioritize sleep. When it’s finally daytime again, and sunny, it may be tempting not to nap while the babies napping. But if you know that it’s likely they’ll be asleep for a couple of hours, take advantage and take a nap. Also, try and get to bed early.
Bring your baby into bed. This last one may be controversial, but here’s my hot take: It is so much more dangerous to be sleep deprived holding your baby in the middle of the night than it is to proactively bedshare. What do I mean by proactively bedshare? Have a plan for how you will bed share safely, if you start reaching the point of sleep deprivation. There is a safe way to do it, and an unsafe way. Even if you have no desire to bed share long-term, sometimes it’s necessary in the short-term to get much needed sleep. For a starting point, research the Safe Sleep Seven.
Ah, sweet sleep. It will exist in your life again. While we’re at it…why don’t we talk about realistic infant sleep expectations? Maybe a future blog post to come ;)
What was your experience with sleep and your new baby? Or, are you expecting a baby and doing research now? There’s no one size fits all for getting sleep with a new baby, but I hope these tips are a good starting point for you!
