How to Get Back to Sleep After Having a Baby

You may be wondering why I would be sharing a story about sleep after a baby.  Bubbles just turned four a couple of weeks ago, so she’s clearly not a baby anymore.  But I am just now finally finding ways to get back to a regular sleep schedule.

I’ve shared a number of times over the years that Bubbles was a night owl.  For quite awhile if I could get her down to sleep before 2 a.m., it was a good night.  Her pediatrician wasn’t worried as she was getting solid sleep, sleeping the amount of hours she should, etc. – she was just doing them really late at night.  She said she’d eventually grow out of it.

And she did – like three months ago.  She’s still a night owl, but her schedule no longer involves her falling asleep and waking up on the same calendar day.  But now there’s another problem: my sleep schedule.

So how can you reboot your schedule once your baby (or in my case, preschooler) finds their own?

Keeping a Consistent Bedtime

I can’t count the times I fell asleep cuddling with Bubbles on the couch waiting for her to get tired enough for bed.  I kind of got to the point where I couldn’t just ‘lay down’ and fall asleep – I kind of had to pass out from exhaustion.  Making myself go to bed at a certain time – even if I have deadlines – has been important to my successful sleep attempts.

Setting the Environment

In college, I could sleep standing up, in the middle of the afternoon, with a marching band playing.  Now if a sliver of light hits my eyes or a garbage truck drives by, I’m up.  So we invested in blackout curtains and they are amazing; even my husband loves them.  I also keep a bottle of water, box of tissues, and socks on my nightstand so that I don’t have to go far to get things I may need in the middle of the night.

Drop the Anxiety

I’m not sure that I know a single parent that doesn’t have some degree of anxiety after their child is born.  I can fully admit, though, that I may have more than most.  The first night Bubbles slept in her own room and I am pretty sure I laid there for the entire night thinking, “What was that? Did she cough? Was that a bang? What if a car hits our house and drives through her bedroom? What if she calls for me and I’m actually sleeping and I don’t hear?”  It’s hard to separate yourself from all of that, I know, but taking a hot bath before bed helps some. RESCUE Pastilles, a homeopathic product for anxiety, can also help you feel less stress naturally.

Sometimes, though, I still can’t get to sleep.  Hubby has taken sleeping aids at different times when he’s struggled with sleep, himself, and he suggested that I try something, too.  I was worried, though, about sleeping too soundly and not waking up if Bubbles were calling for me in the night.

RESCUE Sleep Liquid Melts are a natural product, designed by a doctor to encourage gentle sleep.  Used by millions worldwide, RESCUE products have been trusted for generations.  They work gently and are non-habit forming so I don’t worry about using one now and again when I really need some sleep.  Because I need to be at my best every morning for my family.

What tips for getting good sleep after having a baby do you have?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.