Hey, moms! If you feel like sleep is something you only dream about (in the 20 minutes you might have managed to get before waking up), you’re not alone.
Data from Sleep Junkie revealed thatthat before having children, 68 percent of those surveyed were getting the recommended 7 or more hours of sleep. Once these same people had children, only 10 percent of them were getting the recommended amount of sleep.
According to Sleep Junkie’s Survey…
The survey conducted by Sleep Junkies involved parents of children under 18 months old. The questions were designed to find out what the first year of parenthood is really like.
It may not come as a surprise that the survey found that most new parents get between 5 and 6 hours of sleep each night. When you add it all up, it turns out that each new parent loses nearly two hours of sleep every night during the first year.
Surprisingly enough, newborn babies sleep for many hours a day. The same can’t be said for the parents, who have the responsibilities of adulthood to worry about.
Not getting enough sleep can and will significantly affect your physical and mental health. It can even cause delirium, but unlike in college or school, where we can sleep through morning classes, our newborn baby needs attention and care.
This Phase Will Fade Away
It’s important for new parents to remember that with children, everything is just a phase—both the good and the bad—but these phases eventually pass, and we’ll look back on them with a smile someday.
We know it might feel like an eternity before this phase passes, but there are small things you can do to help ensure more restful and peaceful nights down the road. These tips work best with toddlers rather than newborns, but they’re worth a try.
- Put your little one to bed when they’re drowsy but still awake.
- Make bedtime calm by keeping the room dark or dimly lit.
- Speak in a quiet, soothing tone.
- Try to avoid eye contact as much as possible when it’s time to sleep.
Not Enough Hours in a Day
The Sleep Junkie survey we mentioned earlier found that parents spend only 5 percent of their day on self-care. Where on earth does all that time go during the day?
Honestly, new parents spend nearly five hours a day doing the following tasks—all in an effort to get that sweet, beautiful baby to sleep.
- 1 hour and 21 minutes of walking with the baby
- 1 hour and 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 wish there were more hours in the day.
One thing parents of children of all ages can do to help is to establish a bedtime routine at home. It may be hard to believe, but it is possible to create a sleep routine even with a newborn. Honestly, the earlier in life bedtime or sleep routines are introduced, the smoother things will be as they get older.
The moral of the story is that having kids means parents will lose sleep, and you’re not alone. We’ve heard all kinds of stories from parents about their “oops” moments caused by sleep deprivation. Things like accidentally brushing their teeth with diaper rash cream because it was sitting on the counter, falling asleep on the phone, and pouring their coffee into a sippy cup.
Try to get some sleep while the baby is sleeping. Although they may wake up frequently throughout the night, newborns sleep a lot during the day, so it’s a good idea to rest when they do.
Mind over matter seems to have a positive effect on sleep-deprived parents. The more time and energy we spend worrying and stressing about our lack of sleep, the worse we make things for ourselves and our family. Take a deep breath, drink some water (and caffeinated coffee), and power through your days.
