Sleeping as a new mother

The Importance of Sleep for New Moms

Hey, new moms! Are you going through sleepless nights? Worry not, as we are to explain the importance of moms sleep and share some tips for getting adequate sleep.

Having a baby is the most wonderful thing you will ever experience. However, this joyous moment comes with a lot of responsibilities and sleepless nights, too.

The postpartum period is full of new experiences and adjustments, as well as it is the time for recovery. Post-delivery is a very crucial and challenging phase for new mothers in managing their everyday lives.

Often new mothers skip taking adequate rest while caring for their newborns. However, lack of sleep can affect one’s mental and physical health. Therefore, it is advisable to get proper sleep after pregnancy, as it helps to cope with tiredness and keeps you calm and relaxed.  

What impacts a new moms sleep?

During the first three to four weeks after childbirth, a mother’s sleep is affected by many things, such as feeding, changing diapers, and other such things that are part of the infant’s care. There is no definite time for a newborn to sleep, as they awaken frequently, irrespective of day or night, and require feedings. Due to this, mothers who are forced to sleep less at night, experience anxiety, fatigue, and postpartum depression.

After childbirth, women face various mental and physical changes in their lives and sleeping adequately helps to fasten the post-pregnancy recovery. Sleep deprivation in new moms can also impact newborns.

Sleeping as a new mother
(Pic Credit- freepik)

The importance of moms sleep

It is natural for a parent to prioritise their little one’s needs before their own. However, not getting adequate rest can not only affect your health but also severely disrupt your ability to provide quality care to your newborn.

Here are some of the reasons why good sleep is important for new mothers:

1. Helps fasten recovery

After going through nine months of pregnancy and finally delivering the baby, your body needs rest. Therefore, getting enough sleep will help your body heal and recover better. By taking adequate sleep and eating a nutritious diet, you can regain your strength and provide quality care for your baby.

2. Deals with mood swings

Taking care of a newborn while managing your life with other activities is a tough task for new mothers. You might feel irritated, overwhelmed, and anxious all the time. Hence, good sleep can help deal with mood swings and fill you with positivity.

3. Boosts immunity

Due to a lack of sleep, you become prone to various diseases, including those affecting your immune system. Because of this, you have a high chance of getting ill from different viral infections, and the recovery period from the illness will be longer.

4. For the physical well-being

During the postnatal phase, you experience various physical changes as your organs return to their usual places and sizes. To be physically fit, you must get sufficient sleep, which helps deal with the postpartum changes in your body.

5. Helps brain function

When you get proper rest, your mind will be much more active and responsive. Sleep has been proven to ease pain and anxiety in the brain and help regulate metabolism. When you get proper sleep, it helps improve your learning and problem-solving abilities. In contrast to that, when you lack sleep, you will feel foggy and less responsive.

Tips to improve moms sleep

Being a new mother, you must be struggling to get quality sleep with your newborn baby. Here are some tips to help you manage your sleep routine.

01. Ask for help

There is nothing to feel shy about asking for help from your partner if you are not feeling well enough to take care of the newborn. You can also ask for help from your friends and family to look after your baby when you are tired and need some alone time. They will also love spending time with the baby. As you are still in the recovery phase after childbirth, your body needs proper rest to regain energy.

02. Sleep when the baby sleeps

It is advisable to sleep when your baby is sleeping because newborns take frequent naps, usually every 2 to 4 hours. Therefore, it is a golden time, when you can get ample time to rest without discomfort. Make sure you have asked someone to keep an eye on the baby while you are sleeping. This nap will help reduce stress levels and keep you recharged.

mother sleeping with her baby
(Pic Credit- freepik)

Struggling to put your baby to sleep? Check out this blog for a few effective tricks!

03. Dream Feed

It means feeding the baby without fully waking them. Dream feed the baby before going to bed. This will decrease the chance of the baby waking up in the middle of the night. Additionally, it also helps train your baby to stay asleep for longer stretches.

04. Practice good sleep hygiene

For good sleep hygiene, you must limit caffeine intake, as it interferes with your sleep cycle. Make sure to also avoid using electronic gadgets before going to bed because this will affect your sleep quality. So, try to switch off your phone for half an hour before you go to bed so that you don’t get distracted and get a good night’s sleep.

05. Go to bed early

Going to bed earlier increases the chance of feeling sleepy. When you increase your bedtime, you have plenty of time to rest. This will also help you follow a sleep routine for yourself and your baby.

CONCLUSION

The postpartum phase is a very crucial phase for new mothers. This is the time when you are adjusting to your everyday life while taking care of your newborn. Sleep is a vital part of overall well-being. However, new mothers experience a shortage of sleep while looking after the baby’s needs throughout the day. To combat exhaustion, we have discussed various tips that will help you get enough rest to be mentally and physically fit. From asking for help from your partner and friends to practising good sleep hygiene, you can get adequate rest while giving quality care to your newborn. 

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