Before my two-year-old daughter came in my life, I'd hardly sleep. I spent my time reading more books than I can remember. I didn't care about sleep because I know I can always drink coffee to get me through the day or night of writing.
Now that I'm a mom already, I finally understood how crucial getting quality sleep is. I'll give anything to experience uninterrupted sleep each night again. Of course, there are sacrifices to be made for my toddler but that doesn't mean I can just neglect my body's basic needs. It's the same for you, too if quality sleep has become like a distant dream for you the moment you became a mom. To help put an end to the sleep-deprivation you're dealing with, here are five tips you should keep in mind.
1. Get help for nighttime feeding.
It can be your partner, your in-laws, your nearest relative, or a family friend who's visiting you. Enlist any of these trusted person's help with nighttime feeding so you can get uninterrupted sleep until your baby asks for milk again. If you're breastfeeding, this can be a challenge but you can introduce bottle feeding to your baby early on so someone else can feed them in the middle of the night. If you don't have anyone to rely on, keep your baby close when you sleep (or have them sleep in a bassinet) so that when they stir, you don't have to move much to feed them.
2. Let your guests help you with other chores.
If you have doting relatives at home, allow them to do some of the household chores if they've offered you their help. Be it preparing food, getting your groceries, or just carrying your baby as you try to take a bath or attend to matters that need your attention, delegating chores to them will surely buy you some time to doze off while relieving you of the stress you feel.
3. Mirror your baby's sleeping pattern.
Like me, you'll surely be tempted to do some household chores when your baby sleeps. However, this isn't the smartest thing to do especially when you're so sleep deprived. So sleep when your baby sleeps. Your house and all the chaos in it can wait.
4. Invest in a high quality air mattress.
More often than not, the bed where you sleep on can make or break your sleep. For this reason, ask your husband's help in choosing an air mattress where you can sleep comfortably while avoiding back and neck pains. If he sleeps right next to you, be sure there's enough space for two so you can both toss and turn comfortably.
5. Do sleep-inducing activities.
There are times when you feel so tired but you find it hard to get your body to sleep. In such cases, try lying down so your body relaxes somehow even if you're still awake. Find activities that can induce sleepiness, like reading a book or listening to the radio.
Remember, this sleep-deprivation you're experiencing now isn't going to be forever. As your baby grows older, they'll sleep longer. For the mean time, stick to following these rules so you can get quality sleep and avoid the chances of a hal-awake you channeling your inner emotionally unstable diva due to sleep-deprivation.