How to Get Sleep With a Newborn

Bringing a newborn baby home from the hospital can be exhilarating, overwhelming and exhausting -- all at the same time. For the first few weeks of his life, you̵7;ll need to feed your little bundle of joy every few hours throughout the nights and days, making those periods of uninterrupted sleep a thing of the past. Whether this is your first baby or your third, getting adequate sleep with a newborn at home can be challenging. Certain strategies can help you get some much-needed shut-eye.

Instructions

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      Sleep when the baby sleeps. The laundry is piling up, there are dishes in the sink and you need to call Aunt Sally to thank her for the baby gift. It can be tempting to do housework and catch up on chores while your little angel is snoozing, but don̵7;t. Take advantage of your tot̵7;s downtime by catching a few moments of sleep yourself. Even if it̵7;s only a period of a few hours, a cat nap can help you feel more refreshed and more prepared to parent until your next break.

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      Ask for help. New parents can feel as if they need to prove they can ̶0;do it all̶1; themselves. However, staying up all night with a colicky newborn will not win you any parent-of-the-year awards. If you̵7;re feeling particularly overwhelmed, or if it̵7;s been several days since you̵7;ve had more than a few hours of sleep, call for backup. Ask a friend or family member if she could watch your baby for a few hours while you sleep.

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      Work in shifts by splitting up middle-of-the-night feedings with your spouse. Don̵7;t assume that because you̵7;re breastfeeding, you have to be the one to wake up with your baby for feedings. Most newborns need around 8 to 12 feedings a day, meaning that you̵7;ll only be sleeping periods of 2 to 3 hours at best. Consider pumping and storing your breastmilk so that your spouse can share nighttime feeding duties.

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      Prepare your environment for sleep. Even if your body is weary, your mind may be on full alert, making falling asleep tricky. To help your body prepare to rest, avoid caffeine, silence your phone and turn off the television. Make sure your bedroom is cool and dark. Even if you don̵7;t fall asleep right away, giving your body and mind a chance to rest for a few hours will help.

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