Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 13 9 Ways To Promptly Pay Off Your Sleep Debts 6. BANISH GUILT Your whole family will sleep be er if you ignore other opinions and do what works for you. Infant deaths, parent accidents and postpartum depression are all alleviated by excellent parent self-care. If you have a baby who does not sleep through the night, get crea ve with your sleep rou nes. Don't try to force a baby who has only been alive a few months to align sleep rhythms with adults. Create a sleep schedule that's win-win for your family and your baby. 7. ASK FOR HELP A sleep-deprived parent caring for a baby is risky. Babies spend a lot of me sleeping and parents can play this tendency to their sleep-deprived advantage. Team up and work out a schedule that allows everyone to maintain adequate sleep. If one parent is sleep deprived, and the other is working full- me, consider sleeping in separate beds during the week and swapping bedrooms on the weekends. Let the working parent do some weekend nigh me du es to help the stay-at-home parent catch up on sleep. 8. ACCEPT EVOLVING ROUTINES Once you strike upon a sleep schedule that works, try to milk it as long as you can. It's possible that baby's schedule will never become consistent, and that's OK. Don't hold yourself or baby to some ideal standard that has no impact on health. The most im- portant goal is for everyone to consistently get enough sleep. Once you have achieved that, then you can worry about how clean the house is or is not. 9. TAKE PRIDE IN SLEEPING WELL Parents may discover that no ma er what ages their children, ge ng enough sleep remains challenging. Exhaus on is o en glamorized and contagious. Pay a en on to your own sleep needs, fi rst, and meet them consistently to model healthy sleep hy- giene. Then teach kids to say no to sleep-depriva on tempta ons. Inoculate your family against unhealthy sleep habits - you'll be so glad you did. TYPES OF NAPS Compare nap types and try what works for you -- or whatever necessity dictates. The 10- to 20-minute Power Nap. I t's not the length of the nap that causes you to awaken refreshed, it's your ability to totally surrender to sleep, even when the nap will be short. The 30-minute Short Nap. Some people say this type of nap isn't as eff ec ve as longer naps, but take a short nap over no nap any weary day. Set your phone alarm, so you can succumb without worrying about oversleeping. The 90-minute Deep Sleep. Studies show that you can enter REM sleep if you can stay asleep for an hour- and-a-half. Sleeping deeply helps you bounce back faster once you wake up. NAME THAT NAP Co-snoozing: If the baby is already sleeping, why not cuddle up and nap together or near each other? Do your due diligence online on the safest ways to co-sleep. Or gently lay baby down in a co- sleeper or crib in the same room. Cat Nap: If you are alone and have thirty minutes, cover your eyes, use earplugs, recline and grab a short rest. Some people nap be er if they are alone. After-lunch Shuteye: Bring earplugs and an eye mask to work, lay your head on your desk, and set your phone for your wake up me. Car Respite: Find a shady spot, park the car, crack the windows, stash your valuables, lock the doors, put back the seat and snooze. Sideline Siesta: Seek a spot beyond out-of-bounds players and stray balls, bring a blanket, use your purse as a pillow, put a magazine over your face, and feel the earth cradling your body. Shotgun Recharge: Babies are not the only ones who can catch some zzz's in a moving vehicle. Bring your earplugs and sleep mask, let your spouse navigate, put back your seat back and sleep away.

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