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Sleep Deprivation After Baby: How To Get More Sleep
Whether you are a first-time or experienced mom, one of the most common issues you might face during your confinement is perhaps sleep deprivation. This can be a nuisance for you because ultimately, your body will need all the rest it can get after your delivery so that it will be able to recuperate better.
Having yourself deprived of sleep is not exactly an ideal state to be in as it will harm both your physical and mental health in the long run. With that said, how do you overcome this issue? We understand your concerns regarding this matter so we have brought you a few tips on how to get more sleep!
Eliminate Sources of Distraction
If you intend on having a better quality sleep or fall asleep more easily, then you should focus on preparing a conducive environment for you to do so. For a start, you can begin by eliminating all sources of distraction in your bedroom. Be it lights, noises, radio and even your devices as well!
Sleeping with lights on would only disrupt your sleep and causes you to wake up due to the lack of REM cycle achieved. Therefore, you would want to switch off all the lights in your room and keep it as dark as possible.
Plus, you might want to remove all sources of noise and keep your room as quiet as possible. Having white noises such as a spinning fan, running air-conditioner or hissing radiator is okay and for some people, encouraged. Many find white noise calming and use them as a crutch to fall asleep!
Perhaps the most important thing to do for you to sleep better is to switch your smartphone off and place them as far away as possible! You’ll never know how much time has passed when you are on your phone until it’s too late.
Have Early Dinner
Going to bed hungry is not an ideal situation, so does going to bed right after your dinner! The key lies in balance and moderation. Hence, you should always keep in mind to have your dinner early! Having your dinner around two hours within your bedtime will make you more prone to sleep-disturbing indigestion. Therefore, it is best to have your dinner early and have a light one so that your digestive system will be able to work more efficiently.
Moreover, if you are trying to watch your weight, having an early and light dinner will help you shed those postpartum pounds at a faster rate! Not only you will be able to prevent obesity and curb unhealthy eating habits, but you would also be able to fall asleep better. Why? When there is less food for your stomach to digest, there is lesser work for your digestive system.
The same theory can also be applied to your baby too! If your baby develops colic due to unhealthy eating habit, you can apply colic baby massage on them! This will allow their body to be at ease and more relaxed when bedtime rolls in. That’s quite a neat trick!
Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine
Alcohol can be a soothing companion after a long day while caffeine is great for keeping you energetic and provide a good boost to start the day. While both of these things have certain benefits for you, they are also the bane of your sleep as well. Hence, it would be wise to avoid both of these ingredients altogether if you wish to prevent sleep deprivation.
Consuming alcohol before bedtime can leave you more prone to disruptive sleep since your body will work hard to metabolise it. This might wake you up in the middle of the night and cause your sleep to be inconsistent.
On top of that, alcohol is not only sleep disruptive but it also leaves you dehydrated due to its diuretic property. Therefore, keep in mind to have plenty of water if you had alcohol during your dinner!
On top of that, a study has shown that consuming caffeine within six hours of your bedtime will increases your risk of having disruptive sleep. Some of the foods you might want to avoid before sleep are chocolate, green tea and even decaf coffee too!
Plus, you will also need to be more mindful of your medications because some medicines such as Anacin, Excedrin and Midol contain a significant amount of caffeine. Steer clear of these things and you’ll be sleep-deprived no more!
Do Light Exercises
Exercises are not only great for keeping you fit and healthy, but it is also good for encouraging sleep as well! According to recent studies, having a light workout within one hour of your bedtime is possible without compromising your sleep.
The key is to keep the intensity of your exercises down to moderate or light so that you will be able to have a good night sleep. Performing exercises of this level will be beneficial for you as it promotes better sleep quality and helps you fall asleep faster! Some of the examples for light-moderate workouts you can are yoga, stretching, casual swimming, casual biking and even light to moderate weight lifting!
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Do be mindful to refrain from high-intensity exercises as such routines would raise your heartbeat drastically, making it harder for you to fall asleep. Some of the high-intensity workouts you should avoid are high-intensity interval training (HIIT), running, swimming laps, competitive cycling and heavy weightlifting. While these high-intensity exercises are good for your fitness, they are not exactly ideal for your sleep. So it’s best to refrain from these routines when it’s close to your bedtime!
Speaking of exercises, MumChecked provides plenty of maternity, health and beauty products for your convenience! You might want to check them out soon because you find something you would fancy!
All in all, these tips are great for promoting sleep and prevent deprivation of sleep. After all, you are going to need all the rest you can get after your childbirth so it’s best to make good use of this guide!
Did our articles pique your interest? If you are interested in more information about postnatal massage or newborn massage, then you can always head over to our website for a more thorough read! To place your bookings, simply call us at +65 6417 9690!
