Sleep deprivation and new parenthood
One of the most prevalent themes of having a newborn is that of sleep deprivation. (That and poop.) Not only do my wife and I not sleep much, the sleep that we do get is quite often punctuated. Studies suggest that sleep deprivation is linked to psychiatric disorders in as much as “It’s almost as though, without sleep, the brain had reverted back to more primitive patterns of activity…” That can’t make for quality parenting.
Nappig is a major help, but often difficult if one parent is working and the other parent is at home alone with the child, as is the case with me and my wife. What I’ve been experiencing personally is the inability to wind down when the baby finally does fall asleep at night and capitalize on a few hours of crying-free sleep time. My wife feels like she needs to get other things done so doesn’t always sleep when the baby does during the day.
I’ve been trying to take steps to better prepare myself for the time when the infant finally does conk off, because napping is out of the question for me during the day. I moderating my activities so that any vigorous tasks that might stress or wake me more are finished at least an hour and a half before bedtime.
Listening to classical music in place of television also helps calm me and relax me to the point where my mind is ready to sleep. Along the same lines as reducing TV watching is making sure I turn off the computer well in advance of my anticipated bed time.
I’ve been drinking plenty of water and makings sure I’m eating a healthy diet, which helps me feel better in general. An ounce or two of red wine with dinner helps put me out as well, but I’m so tired it feels like my baby is eating my brain.
Baby Center has a list of sleep aids for new parents, but I would LOVE to hear any suggestions that you may have for sleeping better with an infant.
Tags: bed_time, classical_music, psychiatric_disorders, sleep_deprivation, sleep_timeRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Dads on Duty, Diet, General, health and fitness
5 opinions for Sleep deprivation and new parenthood
Jersey Todd
Jan 2, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I’ve been a fan of http://www.pzizz.com for about two years for taking clandestine naps at my desk at work. The trick has been to shot-gun a cup of coffee first, then close my eyes for like 20-min. At that point, I’m good to go until dinner and the enivitable Baatan march of putting the kids to bed.
brent
Jan 2, 2008 at 6:27 pm
keep a penny in your pocket.
all you have to do is put a single penny in your pockect each morning. when you have enough pennies for a quarter, swap it for a quarter and keep adding pennies. By the time you have 3 dollars your baby will be 8 months old and you’ll have enough money to go buy a coffee with a friend.
It’s the only way.
Bath time
Jan 5, 2008 at 6:52 pm
[…] little sleep as he’s letting my wife and I get, he’s still amazing. Seeing how cute he is makes us forget how often he tries to pee on us. […]
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Jan 12, 2008 at 9:38 am
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MomOnTheGo
Feb 1, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I was a SAHM for my daughter’s first year. I slept when she did or read while laying with her, during the day. We co-slept all or part of the night, especially when I went back to work. Whatever gets you through the day and night is exactly what you should be doing.
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