Newborn babies do not possess the ability to sense whether it’s day or night. It is one of the primary reasons they can keep parents awake in the middle of the night when their tiny stomachs crave. Research by the National Sleep Foundation reveals that, on average, a newborn may sleep for 14-17 hours a day. However, there is no specific baby sleeping hours, few take sleep of 18-19 hours.
In most cases, newborns wake up at intervals of every 2 to 3 hours due to hunger. The small stomach of babies does not hold much food content, so they feel appetite frequently. However, bottle-fed newborns tend to feel less hungry, and they wake up after 3 to 4 hours.
Sleep-Deprived Parents
Sleep deprivation occurs when new parents lose sleeping hours to carry out baby care tasks. The reasons for such sleep deprivation are staying awake the whole night and the breastfeeding urges of babies. Due to insufficient sleep, parents’ mental and physical health suffers a lot, resulting in the mismanagement of babies. It is comparatively tough for working parents as they require more energy to cope with their work and manage their kids alone.
Parents should not ignore such sleep deprivation symptoms as this may take a severe form. Good parenthood does not imply compromising one’s health for baby care, and parents need to balance their schedules to fulfill sleep. Newborn mothers are more prone to postpartum depression, and sleep deprivation. These conditions play a role in causing other severe disorders. So, mothers require extra care and support in starting months after their delivery. Family members may share babycare duties with her to provide time for relaxation.
Measures to Deal with Sleep Deprivation
There are many ways to treat these conditions, few of them are:-
- Makeup For the Lost Sleep: Parents can complete their lost sleep whenever they get free time. Also, short naps are more effective as a productivity booster for parents. Good sleep can relax their mind, leading to fewer mood swings, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. Mothers put more effort into their baby’s care, and mostly they avoid their health to provide the best treatments for infants, including breastfeeding at night.
- Don’t Skip Your Breakfast & Lunch: Parents sometimes avoid breakfast, lunch, or dinner while carrying out their infant’s day activities. Parents should never adopt this lifestyle pattern, especially mothers who breastfeed their newborns. A compromised health may create a bad impact on parents’ sleep deprivation as well as baby care.
- Take a Walk Along With Baby: Walking around with the baby in the garden area or open terrace may uplift parents’ mood and act as a good refreshment. Babies also get a new environment to instantly breathe out and connect with nature. Change in air or environment may provide better and longer sleep hours.
- Distribute Your Duties: If one parent is solely responsible for managing all baby care activities, it creates more load on one person. Distributing duties is the best way to handle babies, as parents can make time for their health. Humans can’t act like machines even if they are parents of any newborn, and they also require constant breaks to manage their mental & physical health.
- Avoid the Use of Caffeine for Sleep Deprivation: Many parents take the help of caffeine, either as tea or coffee, to stay awake all night. Long-term consumption of caffeinated beverages can create severe unavoidable problems for parents. Take advice from experts who can guide you in better ways to deal with sleep deprivation.
Tips to Ensure Newborns Comfortable Sleep
- Keep babies on their backs while they sleep, and avoid placing them on the stomach side, as this can increase the risk of sleep syndromes and other health-related issues.
- Don’t use rough and hard surfaces. Place any soft mattress & cushion cover with a smooth sheet. These surfaces make babies sleep comfortably.
- Parents should keep objects like hard pillows, blankets, unfitted sheets, quilts, bumper pads, sheepskins, and comforters out of the baby’s sleeping bed. Cribs and bassinet should be clean and fresh to ensure good sleep for the baby.
- Keep good care of the temperature. If the environment is hot, avoid overdressing the baby and wrap them under soft blankets during cold weather. Parents should also be required to check their baby at midnight if they sweat or feel cold.
- Keep the room ventilated to maintain circulation. However, ensure to block any harmful smoke.
- Use only quality baby food that is approved by central regulatory authorities. This ensures your baby’s safety and the quality of products.
Parents had to observe how their baby slept in different scenarios, especially mothers who could sense their baby’s behavior. Some babies sleep more peacefully at night, and rest prefer naps during the daytime. Parents maintain their sleep hours accordingly to track their baby’s sleeping schedule well.
Ankura Hospital – Best Women & Child Care Hospital
Ankura has become a trusted name in the women & children’s healthcare care industry by having a presence in different locations in India. Here, you will get the best child specialists who work hard to provide a better environment where mothers can deliver healthy babies. They offer all services to deal with the unforeseen situation of congenital anomalies, prematurity, and delayed birth crying. You can visit Ankura’s website for guidance & treatment from well-experienced child specialist pediatrics and gynecologists. You can also book a consultant pediatrician.
