7 New Mom Sleep-Saving Tips

It's understandable if the term "walking zombie" describes you during your new mom days. As you recover from pregnancy and childbirth, you're nurturing an infant who wakes up several times a night feeling hungry (or wet or colicky or disoriented) and needs you to be awake too. Luckily, this is temporary. Once your baby can sleep through the night, you can return to a regular sleep schedule. But most infants won't for least seven to eight weeks, often longer. The good news: You can almost always sneak in sleep. These sleep-saving moves will show you how.

By Jennifer Graham Kizer

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Delegate a Nighttime Feeding

Let a loved one take the 2 a.m. shift for you. If you enjoy thinking of yourself as the exclusive source for all of baby's nourishment, get over it. "One component to postpartum depression is sleep deprivation," says Marjorie Greenfield, MD, ob-gyn at the University Hospital of Cleveland and Case Medical Center. "So if you've really bottomed out, you need one full night's sleep -- even if that means giving the baby a bottle of formula."

Delegating feedings is how Julianna Caplan, of Washington, D.C., stayed sane after the birth of her twins, Norah and Josephine. Every week or two, she handed off a 3 a.m. shift to an overnight guest -- her mother, a dear friend, or a regular babysitter (at $10 an hour). "Getting six hours of uninterrupted sleep made me feel like the Energizer Bunny," Caplan says.

Next: Breastfeeding Moms Need Relief Too

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Comments

Comments (13)

anonymous wrote:

My 16 month old used to nap wonderfully before we moved 2 months ago. Since then, she fights going to sleep with kicking and screaming and won't fall asleep in her crib anymore... what can I do? JM

12/28/2010 04:18:52 PM Report Abuse

anonymous wrote:

My baby had clogged tear duct at 2 weeks and had the yellowish gunk every couple of hours on Friday night. Emergency room turned out to be a waste, as I checked online found if you squirt/drip breast milk into the eye it will help heal bacteria and nourishes the eye. Of course we were given an ointment, that insurance didn't cover, so the whole ordeal was very expensive.

12/28/2010 04:17:37 PM Report Abuse

jayeapple wrote:

my baby is 10 months and he has association with nursing.and still can not sleep all the night.i am trying to wean him at night but he doesn't go to sleep,he is only cry ans scream until he can get mama's milk.what should i do?how can make him to sleep at night without nursing?its also affected my marriage..i really help:(

11/22/2010 09:47:36 AM Report Abuse

jadeDjenni wrote:

krystyfleming- My six year old is also quite amused by breastfeeding and it gets pretty annoying sometimes. She is also a big help but it's not like they can help with a nighttime feeding. It was really hard to give in to supplementing with formula, but once I started it's been much easier. My one month old sleeps decently through the night (although does it occasionally during the day) and I think that formula at least being a nighttime treat may give you a bit of a break.

8/15/2010 01:06:37 PM Report Abuse

krystyfleming wrote:

my seven year old daugter is a big help but is amuzed by me breastfeeding

4/7/2010 08:08:47 PM Report Abuse

krystyfleming wrote:

my baby is 3 months and still doent sleep through the night what do i do

4/7/2010 08:07:12 PM Report Abuse

chrisandlarissa wrote:

For the breastfeeding your baby is so used to using breastfeeds as his comforter. Its going to take time and effort. Try and focus on satisfying him before going down for the night to help him to sleep through. I had to endure long nights to ween my daughter (now 11) off the breast. I used the bottle as her last feed for the night to ensure she was getting enough as she used to always fall asleep on the breast and wake in the night. Hope this helps.

3/25/2010 09:19:27 PM Report Abuse

chrisandlarissa wrote:

A few drops of breast milk is also an option :)

3/25/2010 09:06:31 PM Report Abuse

la_tetesina wrote:

HELP... My son is already 15 months and i still breastfeeding him. Well, i don't mind breastfeeding him, what i mind is to do it a few times in the middle of the night. i don't know what to do to stop breastfeeding him. Now, he doesn't wanna let go he crys and crys until he gest his mommy's milk.

3/25/2010 06:31:34 PM Report Abuse

djesell_18 wrote:

Thank you Jennifer1061 and l_d_lane04. A massage and a warm washcloth helps a lot..My baby is fine now.:)

2/23/2010 02:18:03 PM Report Abuse

l_d_lane04 wrote:

Use distilled water not tap. Per my Dr.

2/22/2010 04:54:48 PM Report Abuse

Jennifer1061 wrote:

Clogged tear duct. Put a warm washcloth on it several times a day. It will clear in a few weeks.

2/22/2010 12:22:06 PM Report Abuse

djesell_18 wrote:

My baby just turned 2 months old, his left eye always excrete something yellowish. Anybody has an idea what is it?