5 Tips For Sleep Deprived Mums (Easier Said Than Done)

Sleep deprivation is the inability to get quality sleeping time over a prolonged period. Many health hazards can be associated with a lack of enough sleep. Some of these include the inability to focus on tasks, memory shutdown, mental disorder, fatigue, and irritability, among others.

Research has shown that the majority of the people who lack quality sleep are new mothers who spend part of their sleeping time caring for their babies (and that new mums face up to six years of sleep deprivation!) . Sleep deprivation among mums is detrimental to the overall wellbeing and can result in crashes and accidents. You can try following these tips to improve your sleep.

1. Keep your baby active during the day

You can keep your baby occupied during the day to minimize his or her sleeping time during the day. Minimal sleep during the day will enable them to sleep during the evening. Create a quiet and dark atmosphere during the evening to induce the sleeping to your baby. You can reduce the noise from electronic gadgets and keep the lights dim so that your baby can have a quality sleep and give you time also to rest.

2. Take a nap as your baby sleeps

When your baby falls asleep, you can take that opportunity also to get some quality sleeping. If you are a working mum, falling asleep during the day can be challenging. However, you can take the twenty minutes of sleep that your baby sleeps to compensate for your lack of sleep during the night.

3. You should stay away from electronic gadgets during the night

Switch off your electronic devices during the night as your baby sleeps to avoid distractions. Television screens, as well as computers and laptops, can distract you and rob your time for having a quality sleep. Do away with your favorite night show or movie and focus on your health by getting enough sleep.

4. Ask for assistance from friends and relatives

You can request one of your trusted friends or family member to help you with baby feeding and nursing as you take your time off to sleep. Do not be afraid to speak out of your sleep challenges with your trusted members. You can also employ someone to nurse your baby during some night days as you get some quality sleep.

5. Make your bed comfortable and share responsibilities with your partner

Create a sleep-enabling environment by making your bed comfortable to induce you to get sleep. You can also share the responsibility of taking care of the baby with your partner. You can take turns and make the responsibility less challenging to you.