Just Had A Baby? Here’s the 5 Dos on Surviving the Sleepless Newborn Days

Been getting party calls from your new baby during odd hours the moment your foot steps in dreamland? Can’t help but yawning more than usual since you brought your new baby home? Do you feel extremely fatigued, sleepy, and moody during the day since you got promoted to parents?

The arrival of a new baby certainly brings tremendous joy to the family. However, welcoming a newborn at home also translates intense transition as you assume your new role as new mums.

If all of the above questions sound too familiar to what you have been experiencing of late, that is normal! Most parents find the first six to eight weeks to be the most challenging with a new baby at home.

Do Parents Really Get No Sleep with a Newborn?

Once you become parents, regrettably your night-time rest will never quite the same again.

As your new baby adapts to the new life out of the womb and still does not know day from night, he tends to sleep more during the day and stay awake at night. Consequently, new parents generally lament of sleep deprivation and mothers usually are the ones who often bear the brunt of severe sleep loss.

Moreover, multiple night feedings or non-stop nursing, unexpected diaper changes at ungodly hours, wide awake baby who demands to be rocked all the time during wee hours are some of the common hurdles of the first months of parenthood.

New Mum’s Guide: Getting the Sleep You Need

Many new mums often wonder if there’s hope of getting through the gruelling sleepless nights and groggy days of newborn days. Luckily yes, there is!

Following are some tried-and-true tips for you to not only survive but also thrive, this challenging rite of passage and maximise your rest after your baby’s arrival.

1. Practice sleep routine early

It is common for newborns to have their days and night mixed up. Emphasise the difference between day and night to your baby by introducing sleep routines as early as you can.

Make mornings and daytime exciting! Open the windows and let morning lights enter your baby’s room. When your baby is ready for a nap, refrain from fully darkening your baby’s room nor keeping your house entirely quiet during the day. Instead, go about your usual daytime routines and sounds to help reinforce the difference between day and night to your baby.

On the contrary, keep nights boring, hushed and dark. Give your baby a warm bath in the evening, let him wear pyjamas, swaddle him and dim the lights of your baby’s nursery before bedtime. When your baby needs changing or feeding at night, remain calm and do things more slowly and quietly.

2. Sleep when the baby sleeps

Living this old grandma’s wisdom may not be so easy to carry out but it does wonder to make up the nighttime losses. Try your best to catch a few daytime zzz’s or do something relaxing while your baby naps. Also, remember to minimise your cups of caffeine intake during the day!

3. Create the best-sleep environment for you and your baby

Adjust your sleep routine as new parents. Skip your late night shows or Netflix marathon for a while. Keep your room as tidy and quiet as possible, find snooze-inducing activities and avoid staring at your screens before bedtime.

In addition, you may want to venture to sleep separately with your partner or older kids temporarily to reduce nuisance or disruption during baby’s bedtime, thus easier to make your newborn fall asleep and stay asleep longer.

4. Accept help when available

When feasible, embrace help or ask assistance from family members, relatives and friends with both hands to make the newborn days easier! Having the time to eat, shower or get a few extra winks of shut-eye during the tough early months can go a long way and make you feel less like a mombie during the initial months of parenthood.

Enlist your spouse to help out and take turns in handling the nighttime duties so that each of you can get some uninterrupted sleep. If you have a relative or someone who can help in your baby’s late night or wee hour feeding, make arrangements for this.

5. Consider getting baby sleep essentials

Invest in newborn sleep products that could make a huge difference in helping your baby (and you!) to sleep soundly and longer at night. Get baby sleep essentials such as plush soother that helps comfort your baby during bedtime like Fisher-Price® Soothe N Snuggle Otter, Calming Clouds Soother and Take Along Vibe Soother.

Say Hello to Fisher-Price® Mummy’s Sleep Essentials

In the midst of searching for baby sleep essentials that help soothe your baby to sleep longer and better at night? Search no more as Fisher-Price® has come to the rescue so that mums get a good night sleep as well!

Fisher-Price® products are powered by PlayLab – an onsite R&D lab – that is dedicated to designing and creating the best and most practical solutions to meet the growing up needs of babies of all stages.

Every year, Fisher-Price® PlayLab has seen thousands of young families participating in its parent’s talks and toy-testing sessions – the very reason why parents are assured of getting premium quality for their babies from a trusted brand!

If you are struggling to get the sleep you need, check out these game-changing Fisher-Price®’s Mummy’s Sleep Essentials that will help you and your baby get more of that coveted shut eye. Hurray!

Fisher-Price® Soothe N Snuggle Otter