Hello New Baby, Goodbye Sleep? - Or, What to do after the 2 a.m. feeding
[ Article on how to get your baby to sleep…so you can too! ]
by Santosh
It’s a new parents’ rite of passage: The sleepless night. After your new arrival finishes crying for the night (assuming she finishes), after you’ve fed her, had your spouse sing a lullaby (or two or three), and changed the baby’s diaper, you can go back to sleep. The problem: It’s now four a.m. and you can’t get back to sleep. It’s a good bet that one of you adults has to get up in two hours and start getting ready for work (as if the past two hours soothing the baby don’t count as work.)
When your baby cries at night, it’s only natural to want to get up and comfort the little one-if for no other reason than to have peace and quiet. The late Dr. Mark Yarbrough, who was a Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Payne-Whitney Clinic, and a writer for Healthology.com, cautioned against this approach. He advised parents to not immediately rush to the baby’s room: “An instant response is likely to be gratifying to the child and increase the likelihood that this behavior will recur. Frequently a baby will cry for 20-30 minutes and then fall back asleep. A timer is often useful to keep track of how long your child has been crying (20 minutes at 2 am can seem like 2 hours).” Healthology Article
However, Dr. Yarbrough also advised that parents should use whatever approach they think is right for their baby and themselves
Parents may want to consider these hints for grabbing a good night’s sleep while their newborn makes demands on their time and energy:
Opt for the night shift. Work out a schedule with your partner that allows both of you to rest and take care of your baby’s needs. This guarantees that at least one of you will get some sleep, and that both of you will share child-caring chores.
Take a cue from baby. You may want to finish folding the laundry while the baby is safely asleep, but chances are you’ll feel better and get more done if you’re rested. Your baby can nap freely, so why can’t you?
Check your bedding and baby’s bedding. You may think that your mattress is comfortable enough, but you may need a new one with all the changes in your life. Read the following:
Stressed? Your Mattress May Be, Too
Top 10 Must-Haves for New Mattresses
Also, make sure your baby has the proper bedding. That new crib your parents gave you may not have a mattress that supports your baby comfortably.
Treat comfort as a necessity, not a luxury. This is going to be one of the most challenging stages in being a parent. You need to look after your own health. Besides making sure you have good bedding, be certain that nothing in your bedroom interferes with your sleep. Keep the TV off, mute the hall light if you’re keeping it on for baby, check the temperature in your bedroom. You and your partner deserve the same care that you give to your baby.
Soon, you’ll have no difficulty sleeping through the night. That is, until your adorable little baby becomes a teenager.
For More information speak to 1800 mattress sleep consultant; Visit our site www.mattress.com
About the Author
1800 mattress Bedding Consultant