How to Get Sleep as a New Mom

Fighting Exhaustion and Fatigue while Caring for a Newborn

Jun 10, 2009

New mothers often discover an entirely new level of exhaustion after bringing baby home. Though being tired is part of the job, moms can get rest by following these tips.

Some degree of exhaustion is unavoidable for new parents, but there are lots of things that moms can do to get much needed rest during the first few sleepless weeks and months of their baby's life.

Sleep when the Baby Sleeps

Probably every mom has heard this piece of advice, but it bears repeating because it's so true. No matter how many other things need to be done, the bottom line is that a tired new mom should always nap when she has the chance. Catching up on her sleep will speed physical recovery from childbirth and make those sleepless nights with a fussy baby more bearable.

Split Nighttime Duty with a Spouse

During the first few months, new parents can expect their baby to be up a lot at night. It can be hard to decide who gets up with the baby at those times. Each couple needs to talk about splitting up the responsibilities fairly in a way that makes sense for them. Even if mom is nursing, dad can still get up and bring the baby to her in bed for a feeding.

Don't Play the Hostess

When friends and family visit, new moms shouldn't feel pressured to entertain them if they're truly exhausted. If the mom tells them the honest truth, the odds are that visitors will be happy to hold and play with the baby for an hour while mom takes a nap.

Encourage a Sleeping Schedule for Baby

By the time a baby is a few weeks old, moms may start to see a pattern emerge in their sleeping habits. Moms can encourage a loose schedule for even young infants. The sooner they can establish a solid bedtime in particular, the sooner they will see their baby sleeping for longer periods at a time. By the time baby is 6 months old, parents can begin their chosen method of sleep training.

It's also important to remember that if a baby sleeps all day, there will be more awake time at night. Stimulate and play with baby during awake hours in the daytime and try to get in one good period of wakefulness before baby goes to bed at night.

Minimize Baby Noise

Babies grunt, breathe loudly, whine, and generally make lots of noise in their sleep. This can obviously be a problem if they are rooming with you, but it can also be trouble if you can hear it all over the baby monitor. If a noisy baby is keeping parents up all night, they can move the baby into another room or turn the monitor down so that they'll only hear real cries.

Parenthood is an exhausting new endeavor, filled with sleepless nights and the endless pursuit of a good nap. Take comfort in the fact that someday the baby will grow up and sleep all night long, but in the meantime enjoy having a newborn and enlist the help of partner, family, and friends to get some rest.

The copyright of the article How to Get Sleep as a New Mom in Postpartum Health is owned by Jenny Evans. Permission to republish How to Get Sleep as a New Mom in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.