How new parents can get more sleep

Mother holding her newborn baby in hospital bed. Getty Images

Being a new parent, especially for the first time, is a special time, but it often comes with changes to routine, emotional exhaustion and sleepless nights.

Dr Irshaad Ebrahim, medical director at The London Sleep Centre Dubai, has these tips to help new parents get more sleep and adjust to their new routines:

• Sleep when your baby sleeps: Just switch off the phone, the laundry can wait and ignore the dishes in the sink. You will always find time to manage chores when your baby is awake so catch up on those restful snoozes when the little one is tucked in, asleep.

• Be patient when being watchful: A lot of times a discomfort, squeak or a slight cry could just be a matter of your baby settling down. Wait until you feel it is really required to attend to your baby if it is hunger, thirst or some other attention-seeking discomfort.

• Take turns in night-time duties: It is important that you draw a schedule with your partner so that you both get enough rest. If the mother is breastfeeding, the father could take up nappy-changing. If the baby is bottle-feed, fathers can take turns in feeding.

• Set aside social graces: It is OK to say no when you feel a guest will be intruding in your much-needed sleep. If there are some unavoidable ones, don’t feel obligated to host them the same way as earlier.

• Care for sleep: If you have trouble falling asleep, make sure your environment is suited for sleep. Keep your bedroom cool and dark. Avoid nicotine and caffeine late in the day or at night. Get regular physical activity but not too close to bedtime, if possible. Also, avoid stimulating light and noise around bedtime. In addition, don’t agonise over falling asleep. If you’re not nodding off within a reasonable amount of time, get up and do something else until you feel sleepy. Then try going back to bed.

Sleep tips for new babies

• Recognise sleep signs of your baby: Rubbing of eyes, whining and crying, yawning, stretching or even flicking ears with hands are all sighs of feeling sleeping. Ensure you keep everything aside and tend to your baby to put him to sleep.

• Start disciplining day and night time zones: You can show the difference between day and night to two- to three-week-old babies. During the day, schedule baths and changing, keeping it bright and cheerful. This is also the time for play. Everyday sounds of the radio or even the washing machine are all ways to make them understand daytime. Later in the evening, keep lights and noises low, avoid eye contact and play when feeding and sponge clean the baby to change into pyjamas for a night-time routine.

• Set the mood: The baby’s bedroom should be dark, cosy and comfortable. Keep temperature levels comfortable to induce sleep. No alarm clocks in the nursery and, of course, it helps to keep window shades dark to keep the sunlight at bay.

You will be eventually able to develop your baby’s sleep schedule but if you think you have a sleep problem, there is no harm in consulting a sleep specialist. Identifying and treating any underlying conditions can help you get the rest you need. Taking good care of yourself — including getting adequate sleep — will help you take the best care of your baby.