How to Survive Sleepless Nights with a New Infant

Drowsy driving is responsible for more than 100,000 car crashes each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. New parents who suffer from more sleep deprivation than others are at a higher risk for developing postpartum depression. For new parents, sleepless nights may be inevitable, but it's important to try to get as much rest as possible to be able to function adequately -- both for your own sake, and for your baby's.

Things You'll Need

  • Bassinet or co-sleeper
  • Bottles

Instructions

    • 1

      Sleep when the baby sleeps. Yes, it's a tired old phrase you've probably heard from dozens of well-meaning visitors. It's tempting to squeeze in a couple of chores as soon as the baby starts snoozing. But leaving your house a mess and sticking with a simple dinner can be the difference between a sleep-deprived mommy and an adequately rested one.

    • 2

      Accept help from anyone trustworthy who offers it -- your spouse, a relative or a friend. You're not weak or a "bad mommy" because you gave your baby to a friend to hold for an hour so that you could catch some shut-eye. Instead, you are a responsible mom who is trying to protect your own health.

    • 3

      Consider hiring help. Night nurses and daytime babysitters may not be able to nurse the baby for you, but they can take care of the baby in between so you can get some much-needed rest. If you're bottle feeding, they can give your baby a bottle of formula; if you're exclusively breastfeeding, they can give your baby a bottle of expressed breastmilk when your baby is two to four weeks old, once breastfeeding is firmly established.

    • 4

      Rest, even if you feel like you can't possibly fall asleep. Just lying down and relaxing -- without the phone, remote control or laptop near you -- can help you feel more energized when you get up. You might surprise yourself by successfully falling asleep, no matter how revved up you feel when you lie down.

    • 5

      Keep your baby nearby at night so you can nurse or bottle-feed easily. That might mean putting a small bassinet near your bed or using a specially designed co-sleeper that attaches to the side of the bed. The less you have to move to reach your baby, the more easily you'll get back to sleep again.

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