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When
it comes to methods for getting a newborn baby to sleep, hundreds and hundreds
of pages of expert opinion and tips have been
written. There are quite literally a million different pieces of advice
to help the parents of newborns ensure that their babies are getting the sleep
they require.
Which
is great as, lets be honest, most of us need all the help we can get in that
department. Less written about however is what
the parents can do to survive the sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn
baby. How exactly do you avoid being turned into a zombie for whom the days
bleed into one another and the concept of more than a few hours unbroken sleep
is the work of science fiction?
Well,
help is at hand with our four tips to help new parents survive sleep
deprivation.
Sleep while baby sleeps
It’s
one of the oldest clichés in the book, but it is absolutely true. When your
baby is asleep, try and catch 40 winks yourself. You might think that it’s the
perfect time to have 45 minutes to yourself and start that new Minka Kent novel, but in reality it’s the only time that your baby is
going to be taking part in an activity that allows you to sleep as well. Make
the most of it.
Give up on late night
television
When
you went for your scan and got your 26 Weeks Pregnant
Pictures of Baby, you might have had this vision of life three months
down the line of baby falling asleep at 10pm every evening, allowing you to retire to
the couch to watch The Late Late Show with
James Corden in peace. Well, you can forget about that. Make sure
you are going to bed regularly and early, at around 10pm in order to ensure you
are giving yourself a chance at getting some good quality sleep in before the
call for early hours feeding arrives.
Don’t turn down help
For
many new parents, not accepting help is about pride as much as anything. We see
it almost as an admission that we aren’t coping with having a newborn baby.
Nothing could be further from the truth. If you’ve got a trusted friend or relative
who offers to look after the baby for 20 minutes, then take it. A short nap is
not only refreshing for you, but it also gives your loved ones the chance to
spend time with the new arrival as well.
Go away with the baby
You
might think your days of road tripping are over once your newborn baby arrives
but hitting the road with them can actually provide a solution to your sleep
deprivation. Throw an overnight bag into the car and head to your parents once
every couple of weeks. The change of scenery will do everybody a world of good,
it gives the dotting grandparents the opportunity to look after their cherished
new relative and it will allow you to catch up on some sleep at the same time.
