When you become a new parent, your life is suddenly consumed by an endless cycle of feeding, changing, soothing cries, and trying in vain to nap when the baby sleeps. The relentless routine of caring for a newborn around the clock quickly leads to exhaustion for most parents. Sleep deprivation takes a toll, both physically and mentally. Coping with sleepless nights requires planning, support, and self-care.
Surviving the Fog of Sleep Deprivation
In the first few months of parenthood, sleep is fractured and scarce. Newborns need to eat every two to three hours, even throughout the night. This leaves parents running on empty with few consecutive hours of sleep. Exhaustion sets in fast. Basic cognitive skills like concentration, memory, and judgment are impaired. Many new parents describe being in a fog—barely able to function due to sheer fatigue. The demands of an infant must be met regardless, making those first months a hazy period of sleeplessness for most mums and dads. A quick-fix like glucose tablets from Lift Glucose can give you some extra energy when you most need it.
Asking for Help
Getting as much rest as possible requires asking for help from family and friends. New parents need support to watch the baby in shifts or helpers who can bring meals, clean the house, do laundry, and give the parents a chance to nap and recharge. Don’t try to do it all yourself. Say yes to offers of assistance. If help isn’t offered, ask for what you need. Hiring a night nurse or postpartum doula can also provide much-needed relief.
Bonding Through the Bleary-Eyed Phase
In those exhausting early days and nights, it’s important for both parents to bond with their new arrival. Bottlefeed the baby to allow your partner to rest. Split nighttime duties if possible. Cuddle and get to know your little one during long bouts awake with them. Take naps together when you can, to help your baby get used to sleeping near you. Staying bonded and keeping communication open between overtired parents is also key. Be patient with each other during this intensely fatiguing period.
Reset Expectations
Accept that you’ll operate in survival mode for a while. Household chores, cooking from scratch, and other responsibilities may need to slide. Listen to your body and rest when possible. Reset expectations and avoid pressures to snap back after birth. Remind family and friends that you need their support. Keep visitors brief during the early weeks. Don’t rush into resuming exercise, work, or social commitments until you adjust to the demands of caring for your newborn.
Take Turns with a Partner
If you have a partner, come up with a schedule where each parent takes a 4-5 hour shift of responsibility for the baby. That allows the other to get uninterrupted sleep. Taking turns with a supportive partner can help new mums and dads survive the intense fatigue more easily. Communication, teamwork, and understanding are essential.
Practice Self-Care
Make time for self-care, even a few minutes helps – take a shower, go outside, listen to music, talk to a friend. Eat healthy meals and stay hydrated. Accept help from family and friends. Seek social support from other new parents online or in person. Know that this too shall pass. The baby will start sleeping longer stretches soon, and the all-consuming exhaustion of the earliest weeks will fade. You’ve got this!
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