Creating Your Own Good Sleep Habits

Adults need about 8 hours of sleep each night, although this can range from 7-10 hours. People who get less than 7 hours per night are generally sleep-deprived -- they get drowsy during the day, become more irritable, have difficulty focusing, and suffer other problems.

Sleep deprivation makes it hard to be a good parent, so the greater the emphasis you place on getting enough sleep, the more effective you’re likely to be as a parent. But when your baby isn’t sleeping through the night, you’re not sleeping through the night.

So what can you do?  
For the first few weeks, follow your baby’s lead -- at least when it comes to sleep (crying is optional). Sleep when your baby does -- even if it’s in the middle of your favorite TV program. (This is where learning how to program that VCR or DVR can come in handy.) If you are still waiting for Baby to arrive, it still benefits you to establish healthy sleep habits -- after all, you need all the sleep you can get right now!

Create Your Own Good Sleep Habits  
You’ll want to make sure that you’re following good sleep habits, especially after the first few weeks when your topsy-turvy life settles down a bit.

Here are some tactics for helping ensure a good night’s sleep:

• Keep a regular schedule.
  
• Avoid caffeine and other stimulants, especially near bedtime.
  
• Avoid smoking and being around smoke.
  
• Skip the after-dinner drink -- alcohol disrupts sleep (and your baby's development!).
  
• Sleeping pills and sedatives don’t solve sleep problems in the long term -- make real life-style changes instead.
  
• Exercise -- not too close to bedtime -- can help you sleep.
  
• A light snack may help you drift off to dream land.
  
• A regular bedtime routine for yourself -- including wind-down time -- can help you sleep better.
  
• Relax about everything that isn’t getting done.
  
• Make sleep a priority -- plan for it.

Creating a Good Sleep Environment   

Ease Your Expectancy  Prenatal Yoga  Reduce Muscle Tension  Prenatal Massage

• Use a fan or white-noise machine to mask street noise.
  
• Indulge in a comfortable pillow, mattress and bedding.
  
• Move the television and computer out of the bedroom.
  
• Don’t eat, read or talk on the phone in bed.
  
• Use your bedroom only for sleep, and well, you know. Don’t put your home office next to your bed or you’ll be thinking about all the work you haven’t finished when you should actually be sleeping.
  
• The smell of lavender is restful, so use lavender sachet, potpourri or air freshener.
  
• You should feel relaxed when you walk into your bedroom, so make it a habit to clear it of clutter -- hang up clothes or put them in the hamper; throw a comforter on the bed to “make” it.