Sleep is a big topic of conversation I have with all the couples I support as a postpartum doula.
It’s all about quality over quantity - we know we are going to get broken sleep, we know we are going to be up feeding our bub throughout the night and we can totally prepare for this! Here are my top tips on how getting quality sleep for you as parents…
Create a sanctuary - either your bedroom, nursery or spare room. Keep this one room clear and tidy and have all your favourite things around you so that no matter what the rest of the house looks like you can come into this space and rest easy.
Bunk in with just bub - yep this is a game changer, either your partner moves into the spare room/nursery or you and bub do!! A lot of couples do this either when their partner goes back to work or right from the start if you have another child that needs your partners full energy everyday. Having your own space at night to move around, feed and change bub and co sleep is amazing.
Hormones - our bodies when we birth our baby go through the biggest normal changes of our lives. These hormones help us deal with sleep deprivation
Partner & bubs morning cuddles - if you do the above then having your partner come in first thing in the morning to take bub for a walk, cuddles or chill on the sofa means that you can get a good sleep session which you REALLY need after a busy night.
Breastfeeding - our breastmilk produces melatonin (the sleepy hormone) at night to help set our babies circadian clocks and this also helps YOU fall back to sleep quickly after feeding. So even though you could be up multiple times during the night, know when your head hits the pillow you will sleep and it will be good quality.
Go to bed with baby - when you get baby down for the evening go to bed THEN!! I know you want to probably hang out, even have a shower but this will be the time that baby has a good solid block of sleep and you need to make the most of this.
Get a full sleep cycle - adult sleep cycles are 1.5 hours so if you can get your partner to have baby for a 2 hour stint you will most definitely wake up feeling well rested and ready for a morning/afternoon of busy mothering.
Get a good soft/low light - when getting up to feed have a soft light or red light so that you and bub stay nice and calm and are not stimulated by any bright lights. This will also help in setting your babies circadian clock.
Ask for help - when you have a list of visitors all wanting to see baby why not let them give you the best gift of all - the gift of sleep!! I am pretty sure they would love nothing more than to watch baby while you have a nap after all they are mainly there to see baby!!
Have at least 1 nap in the day - if you eat, shower and do any little jobs that you have while baby is awake that means when they go down for a nap you can go straight down with them. Do not pick up the phone, do not touch the laundry put your head on the pillow and rest!!! If you cannot sleep put on a yoga nidra - a 20minute meditation can be like 3 hours sleep - no joke!
I hope you find these tips useful, bookmark the page and when you are in the mist of sleep deprivation come back to these!! As always i am always here to support you, if you are struggling with the effects of sleep deprivation please get in touch! It is never too late to book a postpartum doula and I can do night stays too!!!