Sleep Deprivation Society
Welcome Royal Baby Archie!
It's so nice to feel a wave of positivity and kindness when a baby is born! BUT I wish we could change the conversation about new parents and sleep!! The Duke of Cambridge said so many wonderful, supportive and brotherly things but the one thing that gets picked up is #sleepdeprivationsociety . If you are happy and functioning on drawn out bedtimes, multiple night wakings, co-sleeping and early rising... BRILLIANT... you are a superhero! Because I wouldn't have any children left if I hadn't discovered there was another way!
There are simple, gentle things you can do with a newborn that start positive sleep habits and babies and children (and adults!) that sleep through the night.
Now sleep is not another guilt stick for parents to hit themselves with. Also telling parents babies "just slept in my day" isn't helpful either as this is a whole new world for parents (a whole other post!) But some more simple, helpful tips that respect different parenting choices would nice, right?!
Well here are my 3 top tips for newborns:
Sleep Comforter - get a muslin cloth, wear it, put it next to your baby whenever they are sleeping. At first they will turn their head towards for it comfort, then grab it and use it self-soothe and then when they are older you will be able to hand it to them at sleep times to signal sleep or they will ask for it and they will fall asleep happily and on their own!
If you’re unsure what a Muslin Cloth looks like I have linked to one here.
Put them down to sleep - yes I know when they fall asleep on you it is so cute you think your heart might burst, but as they get older and heavier the shine wears off. Put them in a cot or somewhere safe to sleep. Just save sleeping on you for special occasions and it will feel special for longer and not like a chore when you really want to get on with doing the hoovering... or washing sick out of your hair...
Feed, play, sleep, repeat - (I probably could add 'nappy change' in between each of those) It is ok to wake your baby to feed them regularly. Small or tired babies won't always wake for a feed and then they don't feed well. You could even set a timer to remind you. Babies on a gentle routine often feed and sleep better and can be more predictable, so you can plan when you can meet your friends for a coffee or when you can have a nap!
Try my sleep plan if you want to achieve your ideal sleep scenario https://www.sleepthroughthenight.co.uk/sleep-plan