Pregnancy and Sleep Problems (page 3 of 4)

Postpartum Insomnia: Planning Your Strategy

There is no way that a new mother can get a good night’s sleep. Her hormones are crashing, her pelvis is battered, the baby is crying, her mother’s moved in for the duration, and her mother-in-law wants to know why she named the baby Emma.

Sleep? Not on your life. At least, not through the whole night. A reported 42 percent of new moms never get a good night’s sleep. If you’re up, 10 to 1 it’s because your baby is up. And if you’ve already fed and changed the little lamb chop, try any of the following:

1. Snuggle the baby close to your body.

2. Encourage sucking—finger, breast, or pacifier is good.

3. Rock—and rock and rock….

4. Massage the baby lightly with an organic vegetable oil.

5. Wake up the baby’s father and hand her over.

Around 50 percent of babies sleep through the night at two months, 75 percent at three months. Other factors that disrupt a new mother’s sleep are stress, role expectations, family support, and one or two politically correct but slightly quirky child-care trends that have evolved in recent years.

Quirkiness notwithstanding, every new mother can cobble together a plan to get the rest she needs. It just takes planning.

• Sleep
• • Sleep Solutions

• Special Report: Sleep Crisis in America
• 
• Help for Sleepless Moms
• Here’s how to get the housework done, give your children the attention they need, and help your kids get the sleep they need—so you can, too.
• 
• Menopause and Sleep Problems
• The closer women get to menopause itself, the less they sleep. Here are some solutions to help you sleep like a baby!
• 
• Menstrual Insomnia
• 67 percent of women lose sleep during their menstrual cycle every month. Here's how to work with your body to get a good night's sleep.
• 
• Beat Nighttime Pain
• 1 out of every 10 of us spend a day in pain during a month -- and 86 percent of us don't sleep because of it. Try these tips to prevent pain from disrupting your sleep.
• 
• Sleep Apnea: Types and Treatments
• 20 million Americans struggle with some form of sleep apnea. Here's expert information about a common problem.
• 
• 20 Stress Fixes for Better Sleep
• Reducing stress can impact your sleep significantly. Here are 20 smart ways to calm down and rest up.
• 
• 28 Ways to Prevent Allergy Sleep Loss
• Are allergy symptoms keeping you awake at night? Here's how to get a comfortable night's sleep.
• 
• 5 Tips for Dealing with a Restless Bed Partner
• Are your partner's sleep issues keeping you up at night? Here are tips to help you both snooze better!
• 
• 20 Foods That Make You Sleepy
• Here's a list of snoozers!
• 

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• PLUS:
• Quiz: What's Your Celebrity Cause IQ?