Becoming a new mom is full of happiness, love, excitement, but also sleepless nights galore! Don't get me wrong those first few months are special but they also come with a lack of sleep.
Surviving the sleepless nights as a new mom can seem impossible, but having done so twice, I wanted to give you a few pointers on how to survive as a new mom with little to no sleep.
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Sleep when baby sleeps
When you are a new mom, it can be hard to find time to sleep. That is why it is imperative for the first month or two to sleep when your baby sleeps.
I know you want to get things done, but you need sleep too! Surviving the sleepless nights as a new mom requires you get some sleep, no matter how little, whenever you can.
Netflix (or something else fun)
You are going to need Netflix (or something else fun to do) for surviving the sleepless nights as a new mom. With my first, I would go stir-crazy waking up at all hours of the night with my daughter.
What helped for me was to have something to do. Netflix became my thing to do while I was up feeding my baby.
Sure it wasn't the most productive thing, but who has energy to be productive at 2 A.M.?
Related: best period piece tv shows
Write things down
Another tip for surviving the sleepless nights as a new mom would be to write things down. When you are running on little to no sleep, your mind is not at it's sharpest.
I have found that in the first couple months, I wrote down when they last had a bottle or diaper and if they peed or pooped. There are also apps on your phone, but I actually liked having a piece of paper always there to look at.
long with writing things down, I also made sure to write down things that I really needed to get done, or appointments.
Like I said earlier, your brain is not going to be functioning properly, so having little reminders or a planner to look at will help tremendously. This is the one I use (which can be found on Amazon) and I love it!
It's cute, but also really great for organizing your days, weeks and months.
Get baby on a schedule
This plays back into writing things down, but surviving the sleepless nights as a new mom requires you get baby on a schedule. The sooner baby is on a schedule, the sooner he or she will start sleeping longer at night.
How can you get baby on a schedule? Well, this is where it is important to write out when baby last ate, how much, and when they last had a diaper.
After you do this for about a week, you will start to see a pattern form.
Using a feeding and diaper log will help you create a schedule based on when they eat. You can get a feel for when they are going to eat again, and you will also notice that when they start drinking more or for longer amounts of time, their sleeping time will also start to increase.
Prepare Before You Go to Bed
Another suggestion for surviving the sleepless nights as a new mom would be to prepare before you go to bed. Get things laid out for those late night feedings.
If you bottle-feed, make a few bottles in preparation. It is so much easier to pick baby up and go, then having to squirm around frantically trying to find that missing burp cloth, while your baby starts a full-blown cry.
I like to have a new outfit (for the inevitable), a burp cloth, a bottle (ready and in the refrigerator), a diaper, and wipes ready to go so I can easily find them. This also helps things get done faster, and the sooner baby goes back to bed, the sooner you get to too!
Caffeine
Okay, this one is totally optional, but for me caffeine was my friend. For you, this might mean coffee, soda, or energy drink.
This is definitely a crutch, so don't rely 100% on it, but it will help!
My favorite was Hint Kick water. It's water with caffeine in it. Tastes mildly fruity and doesn't have any calories! Also, no artificial sweeteners.
While surviving the sleepless nights as a new mom can be challenging, it is important to remember to sleep when baby sleeps, find something fun to do like Netflix, write things down, get baby on a schedule, and prepare before you go to bed.
If you use these tips, it will definitely make the sleepless nights survivable. I hope this helps you as a new mom, so you can enjoy your little baby and not feel like the sleepless nights are unbearable.
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