baby
BY ROBYN BARDGETT
Coping with
Sleep Deprivation
Let’s just get the bad news out of the way first:
sleep will forever change once you have a baby.
Managing infant sleep is important to getting a good night’s
sleep ourselves, but it is often a bit of trial and error.
A
ccording to the La Leche League, infant
sleep is different from the way we sleep
as adults and is a developmental process
that changes over time. So it is completely normal
that most newborns will sleep a lot but in shorter
two to three hour bursts both day and night. And
while they start to normalise their circadian rhythm
(the way we differentiate between day and night)
it can make nighttime sleep seem elusive. It makes
sense considering the fact that most babies in utero
sleep during the day – when mothers are moving
around rocking their babies to sleep – and tend to
be awake at night when we lay down – think about
all the little kicks a mother gets when they’re
trying to sleep!
Not only that, but while we are
pregnant our baby is completely taken
care of in terms of nutrients by way
of the umbilical cord. Once that
connection is taken away they
are reliant on their parents
to give them food. So it’s no
wonder that it can take some
time before what we consider
to be normal sleep begins to
take shape. During those long
exhausting nights of a waking
baby there are some good ways to
help cope. It’s not perfect, but gain-
ing a bit of perspective and realising
that it won’t last forever can help get
through those nights of broken sleep.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics recom-
mends that babies are kept close during the first
couple of months. Not only has it shown to lower the
risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) but
this can also make things easier for a nursing mother.
Whether in a bassinet, pack and play (some have
bassinet features and are great for future use), a co-
sleeper or, if you’re comfortable with the idea, having
your baby sleep in bed with you. But it’s important to
come up with a sleeping arrangement that is comfort-
able and safe for the entire family.
It certainly won’t look like eight hours
of deep sleep, but it means less moving
around during the groggy early hours
of the morning.
If you’re baby has transi-
tioned to an expressed bottle
of milk or you’re formula
feeding, it’s a good idea
to work out a schedule
of who is on duty so
feeding can be shared
between you and your
partner. This does
mean sleeping in
separate rooms but
can help get a few
chunks of nighttime
sleep. Once you have
sleeping arrangements fig-
ured out at night, coping with
lack of sleep during the day is also