Do you have a new baby and are wondering how to get sleep with a newborn? Here’s everything you need to know about why sleep is important and how to get more of it during your postpartum recovery.
Sleep deprivation is a not so fun part of being a new mom. Not only are you dealing with a shift in hormones but you also have the demands of round the clock care for your new baby. At the end of the day it can really take a toll on you.
In this post, you will learn everything you need to know about sleep deprivation with a newborn including why is sleep so important, the negative effects that sleep deprivation with a newborn can cause and my top tips for how to get more sleep with a newborn.
While this post includes genius tips about how to get your newborn to sleep at night, the main focus will be on you, the newly postpartum mom. It’s not talked about nearly enough in my opinion but it’s a very important topic as you prepare for and begin your postpartum recovery.
This post is all about how to get sleep with a newborn.
Why Is Sleep So Important
Sleep is essential whether you are pregnant or not.
It allows your body and mind to recharge, helps the body remain healthy and fight off infections, and helps your brain function properly.
Good sleep is also linked to improved concentration and focus, healthy weight, better athletic performance and a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
Along with good nutrition and exercise, good sleep is considered one of the pillars of health.
How Much Sleep Do I Need?
The average adult needs about seven to nine hours of sleep per night. There of course is wiggle room on either side of the guidelines, but deciding how much sleep you need requires you to assess your overall health, daily activities and typical sleep patterns.
Some questions that will help you determine your sleep needs include:
- Are you productive and happy with seven hours of sleep or do you require more to get going every day?
- Do you have any health issues or are you at a higher risk for any diseases?
- Does your typical day require higher energy levels? Think about if you frequently play sports, do intense exercise or work in a physically demanding job.
- Do your daily activities require alertness to do it safely?
- Do you have a history of sleeping problems?
- Do you depend on caffeine to get through the day?
- Do you sleep a lot more on the weekends?
How To Improve Sleep
Prior to having your baby, there are a variety of things you can do to achieve overall better quality sleep.
These include:
- Sticking to the same sleep schedule every day
- Implementing a pre-bedtime routine to help you fall asleep easier
- Choosing a quality mattress, pillow and comforter
- Optimizing your bedroom temperature
- Disconnecting from electronic devices 30+ minutes before bed
- Monitor your caffeine consumption and avoid caffeine for hours prior to bed
While this is really good information to know, it is easier said than done during the postpartum period.
To be honest, it’s tough to have time for a pre-bedtime routine. And you shouldn’t expect to be able to stick to the same sleep schedule every day.
The initial postpartum period is about survival. It will be a miracle if you have the energy to brush your teeth before collapsing into bed so forget about a pre-bedtime routine to wind down.
Negative Effects of Sleep Deprivation with Newborn
During the postpartum period, getting enough sleep is easier said than done…
In the first few weeks, your baby will be waking up every few hours to eat. You might be able to fall asleep quickly after getting the baby back to sleep but the interrupted sleep can be tough to deal with.
The important thing to know is that a lack of sleep can contribute to a variety of unwanted things during the postpartum period including the baby blues, postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression.
Baby Blues
The baby blues describes the short period of time (~2 weeks) following your child’s birth where you may feel sad, worried, irritable, moody, overwhelmed, trapped and may cry a lot.
This postpartum emotional change is extremely common. Approximately 70 to 80% of new moms experience some form of mood swings or negative feelings after birth.
It is triggered by the physical and emotional changes following birth as well as the plummeting of levels of estrogen and progesterone, which were high during pregnancy.
The baby blues affect up to 80% of mothers but usually goes away on its own within a few weeks.
Postpartum Anxiety
Postpartum anxiety (PPA) takes the baby blues a step further.
Being a new mom can be stressful but those with postpartum anxiety usually have overwhelming, irrational worry that does not go away on its own after a few weeks like the baby blues. It takes new mom’s concerns but makes them feel more extreme and persistent.
Some of the factors that can influence a mom to experience postpartum anxiety are the hormonal shifts after giving birth, sleep deprivation, lifestyle or relationship changes post birth, societal pressures on new moms to be “perfect”, having a history of anxiety, having a premature baby, or previous experience with a miscarriage.
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a more serious and long lasting form of depression that many women experience during the first year after giving birth. It can often be confused with the baby blues but it is a much more intense and longer lasting condition that impacts your ability to care for your baby and handle daily tasks.
Postpartum depression is in no way a character flaw or weakness. Having a baby is a major, life-changing event but for some women so profound feelings of sadness, overwhelm and a lack of interest in the baby or life in general can persist.
Postpartum depression typically presents itself in the first few weeks after birth and can last for several weeks, months or even a year and usually requires prompt treatment to help manage symptoms.
A mother with postpartum depression may feel embarrassed or ashamed about not being perfectly happy after having a baby or feel that others would judge her if they knew all the struggles she was going through behind closed doors.
You can read more about postpartum mental health here:
- The Shocking Truth About Postpartum Emotions Every New Mom Needs To Know About
- How To Tell If You Are Experiencing Baby Blues Symptoms
- 17+ Practical Postpartum Mental Health Tips
How to Get Sleep with a Newborn
In my opinion, there are two important parts to help you get sleep with a newborn:
- Actually getting sleep yourself despite your baby being awake
- Helping your baby learn to sleep
Establish A Modified Sleep Schedule With Your Partner
Let me be clear, I’m not suggesting you fall asleep while your baby is awake and no one is watching him or her. Instead, I suggest you work with your partner to establish a loose nighttime “schedule” in the first few weeks after delivery.
You can of course try to sneak in a nap during the day but sometimes that’s just not possible if your baby refuses to nap or only wants to be held to nap.
It took me speaking to a therapist during my first postpartum recovery to realize just how important sleep is – and getting at least six consecutive hours of sleep. You might think I’m crazy but it’s doable if you work with your partner.
First, decide who will go to sleep first. For this example, I will be sleeping first and my husband is taking the first “shift” with the baby.
I would plan to go to sleep by 7pm or so and sleep until about 1am while my husband took care of our son if/when he woke up. Pro tip: if you’re a light sleeper, use ear plugs!
Around 1am, I would wake up and switch with my husband. I would then take the 1am to 7am “shift” with the baby and my husband would sleep.
This plan isn’t perfect but it’s a great starting place. You might be blessed with a baby who sleeps wonderfully but my son was not a fan of being put down to sleep at night…
But instead of two completely sleep deprived parents the first few weeks, working in shifts really helped my husband and I split the parental duties. We understood how important sleep was and both were in better moods when we got solid, consecutive sleep.
Help your baby learn to sleep
Another way to give you time to sleep at night is actually helping your baby sleep. I’m not talking about sleep training your newborn (I don’t suggest that at all!) but laying a solid sleep foundation will make a world of a difference as your baby gets older.
The sleep foundations include:
- Use a swaddle
- Place baby on his/her back (not stomach or side)
- Don’t put anything else in the crib or bassinet
- Use a pacifier for comfort
- White noise machine
- Dark room at night and very bright during the day
If you would like more detailed and specific guidance, I highly recommend Taking Cara Babies’ Newborn Sleep Class. It is exactly what my family used and I swear it’s the reason we were able to get three to four hour sleep stretches from my son at four weeks old.
This post was all about how to get sleep with a newborn.