Baby sleep deprivation causes, solutions, and tips to help you and your little one sleep better.
Baby Sleep Deprivation – How to Cope
Baby sleep deprivation, or rather sleep deprivation caused by babies, is no less tormenting simply because you’re besotted with the adorable person responsible.
In fact, reaching the point of desperation – which inevitably leads to longing for time alone to curl up and sleep for a month – can also invoke feelings of guilt. On top of the bone-tiredness.
Being the primary caregiver for a newborn is haaaard. For so many reasons.
A good night’s sleep can provide a fresh perspective; it makes everything seem better.
Some of the reasons can be difficult to articulate (thanks to the lack of sleep making your brain foggy) and the cocktail of hormones still raging since you expelled a tiny human from your body.
But sleep deprivation is not one of those reasons – that’s easy to express: it sucks.
Above all else, getting sufficient rest is the one thing that can make every other obstacle seem surmountable: a good night’s sleep can restore, revive, and revitalise.
A good night’s sleep can provide a fresh perspective; it makes everything seem better.
So when you have not one bad night, but bad night, after bad night, after bad night – rinse and repeat in perpetuum – life can very quickly feel very bleak.
Having lived through a bout of hideous colic lasting for the best part of a year, I know how truly awful it can make what on the surface appears to be a blessed life.
Tips and Tricks to Help Your Family Get More Rest
With that in mind, I want to share the tips and tricks I learned along the way, that all helped me to varying degrees.
Baby Sleep Deprivation Causes, Solutions, and Helpful Tips
Sleep deprivation caused by caring for a newborn can be utterly exhausting. Here's everything you need to know to get through this challenging phase.
How to Survive Sleep Deprivation As a New Mother
Can sleep deprivation kill you? If you've ever Googled this - you are not alone.
Here's the lowdown or the real impact of sleep deprivation, and how to survive with a newborn.
Breastfeeding Baby to Sleep Through the Night - Sensible, or Bad Idea?
If you’ve not already heard the suggestion that you’re making a rod for your own back, I can almost guarantee it’s not far away. But is it true? Should you be trying harder to lay your baby down for naps and nighttime while they’re still awake?
Discover the pros, the cons, and everything you need to consider when it comes to feeding your baby.
Baby Sleep Tips and Tricks to Help the Whole Family Get Better Rest
Beyond the issue of nursing to sleep, you may find yourself starting to have more questions around common behaviours when it comes to baby sleep, including:
- What typical sleep patterns look like for a baby,
- How to get a baby to nap without being held,
- Why babies fight sleep and how to break the cycle,
- Sleep regressions, how long they last, and - of course - how to cope.
Find out the answers to all of these questions and better understand your infant’s sleep here:
How to Handle Your Baby Waking Up Too Early in the Morning
At some stage you’re likely to want to at least try to help your baby to sleep better, even if it’s in a very gentle way. Here are some of the reasons your baby may be waking early, plus tips for fixing them.
Utilising baby sleep products is also a great way to encourage your baby to sleep better and longer, without turning to any kind of sleep training.
Out of desperation I tried many of the products available on the market, and I documented our success with each item in the hope of helping other parents.
Gentle Sleep Training For Your Little One - Without Tears
As a last resort you may choose to employ sleep training to take a firmer approach to improving your baby’s sleep.
If you’re at this point, I recommend researching the various options so you can make an informed decision about which will best work for your family.
4 Month Sleep Regression & How to Survive This Baby Sleep Deprivation Milestone
Everything you need to know about the 4 month sleep regression.
7 Month Baby Sleep Regression - Gentle Advice That Works
Everything you need to know about coping with the 7 month sleep regression.
I hope some of the resources on this page help you feel less alone during this challenging phase, and offer some practical advice that benefits your family too.