Prince William recently welcomed his brother Harry to the ‘sleep deprivation society’ with a knowing smile. The Duke of Cambridge has experienced life with a new baby but for many new parents, the lack of sleep can be a bit of a shock to the system.
Parenting on Female First
Cathy Finlay, an NCT antenatal teacher, said: ‘Although babies sleep a lot, it doesn’t feel like it as they usually do so in short bursts of a couple of hours. There’s also unlikely to be a consistent pattern to their sleep. We know it's exhausting for new parents but night waking is completely normal for babies, especially in the early months.
‘After about three months though they should, in theory, start sleeping for longer stretches and mums and dads should get more sleep. However, many one year olds still wake in the night and there are no guarantees with babies or toddlers.’
Here are some tips from NCT to help new mums and dads cope with disturbed nights.
Try to sleep when your baby sleeps. Even if it means napping in the day, it’s important to recharge your batteries. New mums particularly need to rest and heal after birth so if you can’t sleep, rest in bed or put your feet up for half an hour.
Rest when you can. Don’t worry if you can’t actually sleep when the baby sleeps. Just aim for some rest or a lie down and try to relax and switch off.
Find out about babies’ sleep patterns. NCT has lots of useful information on its website explaining, for example, why babies keep on waking up at night.
Accept help. Leave any non-essential jobs around the house and accept help from family and friends when it’s offered. This isn’t a time to take on too much or feel like you have to manage everything.
Look after yourself. Getting out for a walk and fresh air could help blow away the cobwebs. Daylight during the day has also been shown to improve a baby’s sleep at night.
Eat well and keep hydrated. Try to eat a variety of balanced meals including the recommended five a day of fruit and vegetables. It’s also important to drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated, especially for women who are breastfeeding.
Socialise. Making friends with other new parents in your local area can be really helpful in the early days. See what NCT activities are happening near you or join an NCT Early Days course which can provide support and friendship.
When to speak to your GP. If you’re finding sleep difficult even when you’re exhausted, it might be time to speak to a health professional. In some cases, this could be a symptom of postnatal depression.
It won’t last forever. One thing to keep in mind is that this period of sleep disruption – however difficult and tiring – is temporary. The good news is that babies do eventually start to sleep for longer stretches at night.