I remember that one particular night very well. My daughter was 2 months old and would not sleep at all. I tried everything possible to pacify her and to put her to sleep as she was crying inconsolably. Next day we had to get her vaccination done and that got me worried even more. Finally she got tired of crying and slept at 6 a.m. in the morning. This was the worst night for me as a new mother when I felt so helpless that I couldn’t do anything for my daughter.
I have had many such sleepless nights until my daughter turned one and half year. It was a very difficult time for me then. All new mums face this dilemma. There must be few lucky ones would get a peaceful night sleep once the child turns 3 months, and I am telling you if you are one of those than you are very lucky. People used to tell me after 3 months she will sleep well but those 3 months never came in my case and I got my first full night undisturbed sleep only after she turned one.
Every night I would sit with her on the swing for hours together or we used to take her for drive in the middle of the night so that she would sleep.
So after my many such experiences as a sleep deprived mother, I would like to share my learning with other new mums who turn to mycity4kids for solace.
My tips to deal with sleep deprivation:
1.Take help: I know you are a new mother; you are worried about your child. You don’t trust anyone else. But take help. Take help of the father, and other family members. Whenever some relatives visit and offer to take care of the child so you have some time to take a nap, thank them for the help and take it.
2. Catch a nap: Whenever your child sleeps, you too take a nap. I know it sounds very cliché. But generally when we get such time during the day, we tend to finish various pending household chores like ironing clothes, buying groceries etc. But if you are not getting an undisturbed sleep during the night, utilise this time during the day to take a nap.
3. Stop worrying: Stop worrying that you will not hear if your baby cries. I didn’t get a baby monitor when my daughter was small and now after 8 years I wonder why. Get a monitor so if you are sleeping in another room or if you doze off on the couch when your baby is sleeping in another room you can hear him.
4. Talk to the doctor: Lack of sleep could lead to mood changes in the new mother. Address such issues. Do not ignore your own health, be it physical or mental. Talk to the doctor if you are suffering from postpartum depression. The mother needs to be healthy in order to raise a healthy baby.
5. Share responsibilities: You can pump out breast feed so that the father can also feed the child at few times during the night so you can get at least 5 hours of undisturbed sleep. Share other household responsibilities too.
Calm down and relax. Play very light music during sleep time so the baby and you can sleep better through the night. Enjoy very moment of motherhood.