Dealing With Sleep Deprivation as a New Mom
Loss of sleep is one of the biggest gripes against having a baby for me. Dealing with sleep deprivation was extremely difficult as a new mom.
But to have a beautiful baby, we have to make some sacrifices, right?
At the end of the day, sleeping less is a circumstance we have to go through when raising our baby.
Luckily, by changing our mindset, problem-solving, and making use of various strategies, there are plenty of ways we can get some sleep and reduce the risk of health complications that can result from sleep deprivation.
In this article, I briefly talk about how you can recognize if you’re sleep-deprived and its negative impacts.
Then, I highlight some of the most effective ways you can get more sleep. Some of these strategies I’ve tried and some I learned about from other moms.
Read on and I’m sure you’ll find something new to try to cope with sleep deprivation as a new mom.
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What is Sleep Deprivation and What Does it Look Like?
Simply put, sleep deprivation is a condition that is a result of not getting the amount of sleep you need or you may be getting sleep, but it’s low quality.
There are many contributors to sleep deprivation, including lifestyle; however, I’m talking about sleep deprivation that's a result of having a new baby.
I can’t give you the exact length of time sleep deprivation will last, but I know recovery won’t happen until you consistently get enough good quality sleep.
From there, it will take at least a week to recover.
I imagine this won’t happen until your baby is sleeping through the night.
Not all new moms go through sleep deprivation after having a baby, but most do. Here are some symptoms to look out for to help you determine if you need to get more sleep as soon as possible:
- Excessive tiredness
- Problems with memory
- Problems with judgment
- Depressed mood (rule out postpartum depression first)
- An inability to focus
If you have any of these symptoms, I highly suggest doing what you can to get more sleep or rest.
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The Problems With Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation can cause poor performance in all areas of your life.
With sleep deprivation, you’re at a higher risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.
You’re more likely to have problems with your memory, problem-solving, learning, and creativity.
Sleep deprivation is the reason for irritability and can hinder your relationships with other people, including your baby and your partner.
When excessively tired, you might try to cope by overeating, which ends up making you feel worse and could result in obesity.
There are many concerns with sleep deprivation but I’m sure this is enough to convince you that as moms, we need to do the best we can to treat it so we can function the best we can for our family.
Read along for my suggestions.
1. Embrace slow motherhood
For those of us who are so used to being on the go, the concept of “slow motherhood” is foreign.
But to get some sleep and rest after having a baby, you need to significantly slow down.
Save the shopping list for another day, or delegate it.
Rather than visit other people, have them visit you (if even that).
Embracing slow motherhood starts with a different mindset.
Rather than thinking you must serve everyone else, you think of yourself as just as important.
Sometimes embracing slow motherhood is learning to walk away from your baby to cool down for a couple of minutes when you’re overstimulated.
Take the time to remind yourself of your needs and prioritize them.
Take the time for a bath, read a book, meditate, or do anything that helps you slow down.
My favourite way to do this was to spend some days with my newborn in my arms and just watch Modern Family.
I barely did a thing during the first two weeks and though I didn’t get a lot of sleep at night, I certainly did during the day.
Contact naps were magic.
2. Don't stress about house mess
This was the hardest step for me to take.
I constantly stressed about house mess and laundry piling up.
My advice is to leave it alone. You and your partner will know when you’re ready to put some elbow grease into your home.
You'll find your rhythm with your baby and will get to it eventually. Just nap!
3. Prep freezer meals ahead of time
I didn’t prep freezer meals before having my baby and I seriously regret it.
To stay energized, we need to fuel our bodies with healthy food but let’s be really, who has time for that during the first week with a new baby?
The best way to get this done is to cook your food in a slow cooker and put the meals in a big freezer bag.
This Pre-Baby Meal Prep Plan has a bunch of yummy recipes you can try.
4. Use microwaveable foods and meal services
Contrary to my previous tip, microwaveable foods aren’t the healthiest.
Still, if it means getting food in your body and saving time for rest, do it.
Meal services are also a great option if you have the funds.
Try places like HelloFresh, Factor Meals, or any other place you can find that delivers in your area.
5. Consider sleep shifts with your partner
I didn’t do sleep shifts with my partner but many moms and parents swear by it.
The reason we didn’t try this is that we wanted some time together while the baby was in bed.
Alone time wasn’t possible for us during the day since he works until 6 pm during the week.
What sleep shifts could look like for you is having one partner go to bed at 6 pm and wake up at 2 am and then having the next partner go to bed at 2 am and wake up at 10 am, for example.
With those sleep shifts, each partner gets 8 hours of sleep.
There are different ways of doing this but I’m sure you get the gist.
I think this strategy is the best for moms whose partner works from home or who have flexible hours.
6. Keep up with the consistency
You might’ve heard that “consistency is key” plenty of times by now, but there’s a reason for that.
Though your baby won’t understand right away that night is night and day is day, the more you do the same things at the same time, the easier it will be for them to adjust to sleeping more when it’s nighttime.
It will be hard and it will take a long time for you to see results but trust me, one night you’ll find that your baby has slept for 4+ hours in a row without waking up.
This is a blissful period so cherish it while it lasts. Keep up the consistency even when this happens so you can prepare for the inevitable sleep regressions.
7. Do chores while your baby is awake
This is my favourite tip and I get the sense that it’s underutilized.
Don’t wait to do chores when your baby is taking a nap.
Do them while your baby is awake.
Let them observe you do dishes, make the bed, feel the textures of your laundry, and interact with the world.
Doing chores with your baby awake is a fun activity that will help them understand how they can manipulate the environment around them.
So, save your baby’s nap time for “me” time or some extra sleep for you, mama!
8. Talk to your doctor if it’s becoming too much for you
My last tip for you is to tell your doctor.
If you notice yourself slipping into depression or that you just can’t cope with all the sleep loss, then it’s time to get some help.
It’s also just normal to find it difficult to sleep within the first couple months after having a baby, but if it persists 3-months postpartum, you’re at risk of insomnia.
You can be referred to a sleep consultant for babies and I imagine there are other suggestions your doctor can help you with to reduce the risk of postpartum or long-term insomnia.
Yes, sleep loss is a challenge and a fact of life that moms and parents with new babies have to deal with.
Just no that this is a temporary season of life. Everything comes in phases when it comes to raising a child.
In the meantime, utilize the tools and strategies you have available to you so you can get work on dealing with sleep deprivation, get some sleep, and go back to the energized women you once were.
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