All first-time parents leave the maternity ward with great expectations about their baby. But the secret is not to be too hard on yourself, don’t demand too much of yourself, and always take things slow. Your habits have obviously changed, and your sleep will not be the same—after all, a mother’s sleep before the baby is born is one thing, and a mother’s sleep after the baby arrives will be another. But don’t worry, everything is a matter of adaptation and time.

It’s natural for many doubts and waves of questions to come up regarding your new routine: How will the baby’s sleep be? From how many months does the baby sleep through the night? What will breastfeeding be like? The first bath, and so the extensive list of questions goes on.

How to Sleep Well After the Baby Arrives

Every mother wants to spend as much time as possible with her child, not to miss anything—every gesture, smile, silly face, cry, everything is important and worth recording. The newborn baby requires a lot of attention, and it’s a phase where the mother sleeps very little due to breastfeeding and other care.

But it’s necessary to adapt so all this routine doesn’t become exhausting for the woman. We’ve made a list of some tips that can help mom recover from tiredness and fatigue due to reduced quality of sleep.

  • The important thing is not the number of hours slept, but the quality of sleep. Take advantage of the baby’s naps to sleep during the day—this period will help you regain your energy and make up for lost sleep at night.
  • Mother’s sleep is super important, not just to avoid fatigue and stress, but for your health itself—so ask for help from dad, your mother, your mother-in-law, or someone you trust, at least in the early months when the baby wakes up a lot at night.
  • Rest while breastfeeding: Use proper nursing pillows to support your arms, and another tip is to breastfeed lying down, placing the baby on their side with their head slightly elevated.
  • Try to create a pleasant sleeping environment: Turn off the lights and keep the room quiet, try to disconnect from everything. If possible, use a baby monitor placed near the baby to pick up sounds, so you can relax and get more rest.
  • Breastfeeding greatly contributes to the mother’s sleep, as prolactin—the hormone that produces breast milk—is a great natural sedative.

Mom’s and Baby’s Health

The mother’s sleep is necessary to ensure physical and emotional health, thus preventing anxiety, mood changes, or even postpartum depression. Usually, in the first few months after the baby is born, moms tend to have dark circles and intense fatigue due to interrupted sleep schedules at night.

This is the time to ask for help—after all, your health needs to be in order so you can take good care of your baby. Resting and recharging energy is necessary and remember, your little one is very sensitive and picks up all your energy, whether positive or negative.

In this case, your baby’s health is also affected, since they can feel all your tension, which can cause prolonged crying and increased colic. The important thing at this time is to delegate tasks, both housekeeping and baby care.

Another highly important point is nutrition: drink plenty of fluids like water, juices, or make fruit smoothies; eat a balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and greens, and don’t rush your meals—eat slowly.

When Does the Baby Sleep Through the Night?

There’s no rule to follow about the baby’s sleep—some children sleep through the night from birth and sleep a lot during the day, too. And there are others who are about to turn two and still have trouble sleeping at night and during the day.

When the baby comes home, it’s impossible to know what they’ll be like. Only time will tell what the routine will be, whether the baby will sleep through the night or wake up several times to nurse. But something is very important to help everything settle into place: try to stick to the same schedule for bath time, breastfeeding, outings, and provide a calm environment, with soft music and low lighting. Creating a sleep routine always helps!

Remember that every child has a different biological clock when it comes to sleep; some sleep a lot and fall asleep easily, others sleep less and find it harder to get to sleep.

Sleep Ritual

For children, it’s important to have schedules and rules and to create a sleep ritual. This act helps your little one fall asleep, as it creates a routine where the brain receives the information and begins to slow down, reducing activity in preparation for rest.

The goal is for the child not to have trouble falling asleep, to sleep through the night, and to be calmer and healthier. Always start your routine respecting your baby’s biological clock, pay attention to their mood—sometimes tiredness comes earlier, so move the steps forward.

The sleep ritual requires a lot of patience—sometimes the baby resists the steps, but the important thing is not to force and to keep them calm. Give the bath without too much play, brush their little teeth (for babies without teeth, clean their mouth), create the habit and they will keep it for life, and put on pajamas appropriate for the climate.

It’s important that dad takes part in this ritual as it’s a moment of affection and tenderness for the child—he can give a massage, talk, or even tell a story. This shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes, and then mom takes over the sleep ritual to help the little one sleep.

Baby’s Sleep Cycle

Many mothers, out of lack of knowledge, end up interrupting the child’s sleep cycle—just a little whimper and they wake the baby up, making them irritable and fussy.

To better understand the baby’s sleep cycle, it is made up of five phases: first, drowsiness; second, entering deep sleep; third, deep sleep; fourth, lighter sleep (REM); fifth, partially awake.

  • Drowsiness – The body releases melatonin, a substance produced by the brain that induces sleep.
  • Entering deep sleep – This is the transition between phases, when heartbeat and breathing slow down.
  • Deep sleep – The baby stays still, and this is when the growth hormone is released.
  • Lighter sleep – At this time the baby rapidly moves the eyes—REM (Rapid Eye Movement)—and dreams happen during this phase.
  • Partially awake – This is a transition between phases, marking the end of the cycle, which lasts forty to fifty minutes of sleep.

The baby’s first year of life requires a lot of calm and patience from the mom, but there’s no reason to panic—your baby only needs plenty of attention, love, and a harmonious family environment. With time everything will settle into place, and your home’s routine will adjust.

See also: Find Out the Reasons Why Your Baby Isn’t Sleeping
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