New Parents And Sleep - Finding The Perfect Balance
New parents and sleep. With the average new baby costing its parents a total of 44 days of "lost" sleep every year, it's vitally important that when you sleep you sleep WELL.
A new baby is quite simply the most wonderful and exhilarating experience you can ever have, yet it can also be the most wearing. There's so much to worry about, so many things to look after and take care of, and so, so many broken nights of sleep. But what a joy!When you do sleep, you need to sleep well.
After all, you're going to be woken up several times a night... so what could be worse than going back to bed on something that's uncomfortable, where you can't get back to sleep, or you wake up with aches and pains?
Babies also put strain on your back and shoulders, requiring constant heavy-lifting, putting you in stress positions as you try to ever-so-gently place her into the cot for a sleep, lift her out for cuddles, rock her to sleep in your arms, and so on. These all put your back and shoulders and neck into unusual, straining positions.
And remember, too, that a baby needs STUFF! Nappies, bottles wipes, changing mat, etc etc etc, these will all take it out of you, putting your back under a strain that, for many people, may stay with you forever.
We'll say it again. Successfully looking-after-baby also requires successfully looking after yourself.
With better sleep and a more accepting mattress, you will have greater mental and physical reserves of energy to not only see you through the inevitable times when every resources is tested, but you will also be full of energy for all those wonderful play times. And as many of us know, there is no better thing in the world to enjoy than teaching your little one to play.
The "7 Ps"! Proper Preparation and Planning Prevents (Possibly) Poor Parenting!
So what you can do about it? Preparation! This is a new life you're bringing into the world, and it's also a new life for you. Your life will change immeasurably. Therefore experts recommend carrying out an inventory of your sleeping environment. Are you ready and prepared to give yourself the best possible chance of a great night's sleep that you can possibly get? You'll need it, so don't underestimate it!
The Sleep Council of Great Britain recommends a good list of checks you can perform with its Bed MOT, but here are a few things to look for.- Have you had your mattress more than 7 years?
- Do you wake up with stiffness and/or aches and pains?
- Are you sleeping as well as you did a year ago?
- Have you had a better night's sleep in a bed other than your own?
- Does your mattress show visible signs of wear and tear (eg does it sag, is it lumpy, does it creak?)
So what kind of mattress should you get as a new parent? Think about what will be most important to you when you go to bed.
1. You don't want to wake your partner up when you climb back into bed after night-time feeds.
Means you need a mattress without motion transfer, ie one that doesn't transfer your movement to the other side of the bed. Best for this is memory foam.
2. Your body will need to recover and revitalise when you sleep
You will have aches and pains. Your back, shoulders and neck will hurt. So choose one which not only offers soothing comfort and that totally accepts your body, make sure there is an underlying strength and support for your back. Best for this is Dormeo Octaspring, with rows and layers of different strengths of body-zoned memory foam springs.
3. You don't want to get too hot in the night, as it will wake you up
You have a new baby in the house, so you will want to have your house warmer than you normally would to protect your little one from chills. Best for this is also the Dormeo Octaspring, as it has a breathable core, allowing warm air from the bed to filter out through the mattress sides into the room, and to draw cooler fresh air in.
This is what new parents John and Sandra, users of the Octaspring mattress had to say:
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