Fustany Team 
New moms and parents truly are heroes. How do you sleep with a new born? It's definitely a hard and miraculous thing because, besides having to constantly wake up to breastfeed, shush and change diapers, some new moms can't sleep even when baby sleeps. It's a rough time, but you can get through it, the most important step is to acknowledge that you're sleep deprived and you need help. From there, there a few things that can help you get some sleep with a newborn...
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1. Ask for help!
It's okay to admit deafeat. You need sleep to function properly, so try to get as much help as you can. Ask your family and friends to take over for a few hours so you can get a nap or a few hours of much needed sleep.
2. Nap
If you've been sleep deprived, go for a nap when the baby's sleeping in the afternoon. You need it and deserve it. 20 or even 15 min Powernaps can be a lot more powerful than you think they are.
3. Sleep Routine
Try to go to bed at the same time everyday, even if you know the baby's going to wake you up every hour. It will help you feel like your life's not that disorganized, and when you can actually get some sleep, your sleep will be a lot better and deeper.
4. Talk about it
It's important to let it all out. Talk to a friend, family member or even a counsellor about all your worries, how exhausted you are, how angry you are. It's easy to get caught up in feeling guilty and telling yourself that you should be okay or that you shouldn't complain. But, it's normal to feel overwhelmed and letting it all out can help. If it's hard for you to open up to someone, you can open up your notes and write down even the thoughts you're too scared to say out load.
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5. Sleep-Friendly Space
Make the environment perfect for sleep. Make sure your bedroom and the nursery are always clean, organized and relaxing for you and the baby. Also make sure the baby's sleeping in the dark to help them sleep better.
6. Don't overdo the coffee!
You might be inclined to drink more coffee to make up for the lack of sleep, but the caffeine can actually affect your sleep when you finally have time for it.
7. Talk to the doctor
If your baby's sleep is irregular and they're always crying and waking up at night, talk to your pediatrician on what would be best for the baby and get tips to help them sleep more through the night.
8. Switch up with your partner
Take shifts with your partner. Have him feed the baby and take care of him/her while you get more sleep, so that you're not both sleep deprived.
9. Calming sounds
Invest in a Shusher or white noise machines (don't play them too loud!) to play for the baby so they can sleep more and better and therefore, so can you.
10. Sleep at the same time
Sync your sleep with your baby's as much as you can. Whenever they're sleeping, get some sleep too!
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11. Stress
If you're stressed, even the few hours of sleep you're getting will be tense and not beneficial. So, try to find time during the day as the baby's napping, even if it's just 5 minutes, to unwind and do something you love that relaxes you.
Main Image Credits: Instagram @crispandhazy
