Sleep tips for new parents

We know you’re absolutely thrilled by your new baby. We know your little bundle of joy brings you endless happiness. But gosh, they’re tiring, aren’t they? Sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming, especially if this is your first. Babies rely on their parents for absolutely everything.

Most new parents cite sleep as the thing they miss most when they have a baby. Nearly half of all parents with children under six months get only one to three hours of undisturbed sleep a night. For most new parents, peace-filled evenings are over.  You’ll be looking for sleep whenever and wherever you can get it.

It’s important, too, because sleep deprived parents can do some silly things.

We’re big on sleep. To help you, we’ve compiled this list of tips for new parents. Hopefully, they’ll lead to an increase in shut-eye and a decrease in yawning.

1. Sleep when your baby sleeps

When your baby is awake, you have no choice but to be awake. That means whenever they’re asleep, you should be asleep

This is the first thing most experienced parents will tell you, but not many new parents heed this advice. It can be tempting to put a wash on, take a bath or watch TV, but trust us when we tell you that you’ll regret that later. Your priorities, in order, should be your baby, and then sleep. This gets a little trickier if there’s more than one child, but do your very best.

2. Don’t let your baby sleep with you

This might seem like the right thing to do in the very beginning, but it can cause problems later on. The best way to make sure your sleeping pattern returns to normal as quickly as possible is to get your little one used to their own sleeping space. It is incredibly difficult to do this once your baby is a toddler.

3. Prepare yourself for sleep

You might feel as though you’ll fall asleep the moment your eyes close, but you will probably find that the opposite is true. Your mind has been racing all day, trying to navigate the complicated world of being a new parent. It will very rarely be as simple as switching off and falling into slumber.

Make sure that wherever you’re sleeping is tidy, comfortable and clean. Try to keep this area exclusively for sleeping. Psychologically, this will help your mind to switch off when the time comes to sleep because your brain will associate your surroundings with snoozing.

4. Pay attention to your circadian rhythm

Your circadian rhythm is the 24 hour clock ticking along in your brain without you realising it. It naturally follows the progress of the sun, which means that you should feel energised in the mornings and sleepy in the evenings. When you have a baby, you’re expected to be up all hours of the day and night. That can wreak havoc on your circadian rhythm. A walk in the morning sunlight could help you to realign your body and refresh your senses, even if you’ve had very little sleep. Making sure that your lights are dim and the television is not on when you wake up in the middle of the night will also help with this.

5. Share night feeds

It can be tempting as a mother to feel as though you should shoulder the burden of night feeds, especially if your partner is working, but it is really important that you share the responsibility if you have someone to share it with.

A problem shared is a problem halved. Don’t martyr yourself by trying to take on the night shift on your own.

6. Treat yourself to a great new bed

It is more important than ever that your bed is comfortable. If you don’t look forward to going to bed, it might be time you think about investing in a new mattress. Choose breathable, recyclable, natural materials and organisations with a great reputation.

Ely Mattresses contour perfectly to the human form. They come with a 10-year warranty and you can try your chosen mattress for 30 days as part of our sleep trial. Plus, we offer 0% finance with no deposit to make paying for your sleep even more manageable.

For more information, contact Ely Mattresses.