Hey, mammas! If you feel like sleep is something you dream about (in the 20 minutes you may have gotten before waking), you’re not alone.
Data from sleep junkie revealed that prior to having children, 68 percent of people surveyed were getting the recommended 7-plus hours of sleep. Once these same people had kids, only 10 percent of them were getting the recommended amount of sleep.
Sleep Junkie’s Survey Says…
The survey conducted by Sleep Junkies was with parents of children under 18 months old. Questions were asked to determine what the first year of parenthood is genuinely like.
It might not be surprising that the survey found that most new parents get between 5 and 6 hours of sleep nightly. Adding up the numbers brings us to the fact that each new parent loses almost two hours of sleep every night for the first year.
Surprisingly enough, newborn babies sleep for many hours a day. The same doesn’t go for the parents who have adulting to worry about.
Not getting enough sleep can and will significantly affect your physical and mental health. It can even make you delirious, but unlike college or school, where we can sleep through morning courses, our newborn baby needs attention and care.
This Phase Will Fade Out
It’s essential that first-time parents keep in mind that with children, everything is a phase, both good and bad, but the stages fade away, and we’ll be laughing about them later on down the road.
We know that it might feel like an eternity before the phase passes, but there are little things you can do to get more restful and peaceful nights down the road. These tips work mainly with toddlers rather than newborns, but it’s worth a shot.
- Put your little one down for bed when they’re drowsy but still awake.
- Make bedtime calm by keeping the room dark or dim.
- Talk in quiet, relaxing tones.
- Avoid eye contact as little as possible when it’s time to sleep.
Not Enough Hours In A Day
The Sleep Junkie survey we spoke of earlier discovered parents are spending only 5 percent of their days on self-care. Where in the world is all the time going during the day?
Honestly, new parents spend close to five hours a day doing the following tasks - all efforts going towards getting that sweet, beautiful baby to sleep.
- 1 hour 21 minutes walking with the baby
- 1 hour 46 minutes feeding the little one
- 41 minutes driving around trying to get the baby to sleep
- 34 minutes are spent reading to the baby
We mustn’t forget the burping, bathing, and cuddling. It’s no wonder parents are looking for more time in a day.
Something parents of children of all ages can do to help is incorporate a bedtime routine into the household. It may be hard to believe, but it’s possible to create a sleep routine with a newborn. Honestly, the earlier in life bedtime or sleep routines are introduced, the smoother things can be as they get older.
The moral of the story is that having kids will cause parents to lose sleep, and you’re not alone. We’ve heard all kinds of stories from parents about their “oops” moments from a lack of sleep. Things like accidentally brushing their teeth with diaper rash cream because it was on the counter, falling asleep on the phone, and pouring their coffee into a sippy cup.
Try to get sleep when the baby is sleeping. While they might wake up frequently throughout the night, newborns sleep a lot during the day, which is why it’s good to rest when they do.
Mind over matter seems to have a positive effect on sleepy parents. The more time and energy we spend thinking and stressing over the lack of sleep, the worse we’re making things for ourselves and our family. Breathe deep, drink some water (and caffeinated coffee), and push through your days.
