Getting Sufficient Sleep (Tips for new moms)

A new mum is often very exhausted. A few changes can make a huge difference to the amount of sleep you're getting. As a new mother, it can be really hard to get the sleep you need. You may get irritated that you haven't slept and at the same time you also have to take care of the baby.

While new parents won't keel over from frequently interrupted slumber, they certainly suffer from the myriad negative effects sleep loss induces, including irritability, lack of concentration, reduced decision-making skills, and loss of emotional control. Lack of sleep also impairs the immune system, making people more susceptible to illness, and often leads to an increased appetite and sluggish metabolism, the perfect recipe for weight gain. So what's a weary parent to do?

Here are a few steps that you can take which may help you get sufficient sleep:

• Sleep while the baby sleeps: That whole thing ‘sleep when the baby sleeps' probably works best! When your baby sleeps, you may feel free to watch television or do something that you used to before having a kid. Instead, sleep along with your baby as it helps you to gain sufficient sleep. Feed your baby completely before you fall asleep so that you won't get disturbed for quite some time.

• Adjust your timeline: If your baby wakes up at 6 AM for a feed, don't start your day just yet! Feed the baby quietly in a dark room and both of you should go back to sleep for a few more hours. Follow a perfect schedule and stay organized. That can keep you more comfortable and concentrate on things you want to.

• Involve your partner: Involve your partner when your baby is really cranky and not able to sleep. Both of you can put your baby to sleep and spend some time together. The father too can learn to put the baby to sleep after feeding or even when he is crying. Take your time to teach him how to put the baby back to sleep.

• Enlist help: Motherhood is the toughest job you might ever love. But sometimes a girl can use a hand to make it through the day. If you have your mum around, that's well and good. If not, ask help from a good friend if you are comfortable, or appoint a care taker who is trained to nurse the baby.

• Staying neat and healthy: Taking a shower 2 hours before you go to bed can make you feel relaxed and clean.

Avoid too much coffee/tea; go for milk instead. Avoid junk foods and sugary foods. Make sure you have a well balanced diet. Drink about 8-10 glasses of water per day. Like the discomforts of pregnancy, sleep deprivation is a temporary problem that will resolve itself with time if organized well.