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Insomnia after giving birth8/13/2023 ![]() Another strategy is to have dedicated “worry time” earlier in the day. One way to combat lying in bed and worrying, is to avoid relaxing in bed and head to bed only when you are truly tired. ![]() Unfortunately, for parents with an infant, time in bed might be the first time all day when your mind is quiet enough to think. Mentally sifting through worries, anxieties, and responsibilities can be a barrier to a good night’s sleep. If all else fails, try to move to a different part of your home for 20 minutes and do something soothing like read a book, then return back to your bed to try again. You can also focus on your breathing as you inhale slowly through you nose and exhale through your mouth. Mindfulness and meditation can help you catch your racing thoughts, and redirect your focus back to the moment. Think of those nights where you are stuck awake with your racing thoughts. This is where the meditation practice can pay off. Are there any solvable problems to your sleep setup? Are there any kids or a dog impacting your nighttimeĬomfort? Does your partner snore? Is your room “too” quiet? Many people benefit from the sound of a fan, or noise machine to help with shutting down, and staying that way. Check in on your current sleeping arrangement. If this is difficult, plug your phone in another room or in an area of your room where you can’t easily grab it. Discontinue screens 1-2 hours before heading to bed. ![]() Screens activate our brains and emit blue light, which disrupts melatonin productions, and both of those factors make sleep less attainable. Screens are not compatible with good sleep hygiene most of us don’t like to hear this, but it can’t be avoided. If you are folding laundry and answering emails right up until bedtime, it is more likely that sleep will be elusive. Basically, you are letting your mind and body know that it is time to prepare for sleep. After baby is sleeping, around 1-2 hours before you plan on going to sleep, start your bedtime rituals: taking a warm shower, getting into fresh pajamas, brushing teeth, and meditation are all examples of a good bedtime routine. Stick to a Routine: Creating a separation between daytime and night is an important part of a healthy sleep routine. Postpartum doulas are professionals trained in supporting you and your family through the postpartum period, including offering support at night so parents can sleep. If your options are limited, consider a postpartum doula, or consider adding gift cards/monetary contributions to a doula on your baby registry. Enlist the helpers in your life, parents, siblings, and friends are potential sources of support and most of them will be happy to help. If you are a single parent, remember, it takes a village. This might include swapping nights, sleeping in shifts, and sharing feedings. If you have a partner, come up with a schedule that includes both partners getting sleep. When you’re making your pre-baby to-do list, add “sleep plan” to the list, right at the top would be great. Have a Plan: Parents spend a lot of time preparing for a new baby with lovely nurseries and a myriad of equipment (most of which we never use). Sounds cruel, right? Many of the changes that new moms experience contribute to this sleeplessness like hormonal changes, changes in lifestyle, frequent feedings, and anxiety. Sleeping can become problematic during pregnancy with symptoms like restless legs, frequent bathroom trips, and general physical discomfort, but sleep difficulties can spill over into the postpartum period, even after your baby is sleeping soundly through the night. Something to consider: sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. As much as it might be considered a rite of passage to be an exhausted new mom, living on caffeine and “sleeping while the baby sleeps”, the bottom line is that humans need sleep to survive. No one can prepare a first-time parent for parenting and the lack of sleep that often comes along with having a baby. Family and friends encourage you to prepare for lack of sleep, “sleep now – you won’t sleep once the baby comes”, suggesting that you can store it away for when you need it most. One of the most identifiable aspects of the early days of parenting is exhaustion. And this was the real gift, because when you cannot sleep, you cannot get yourself out of the ditch-there’s not a chance.” - Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love
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