5 Ways for Mommy and Baby to get more sleep while Co-sleeping

When my son was born he was a great baby but he liked to suckle all night long, which kept both of us up. If that works fine for you then you don’t need to change a thing but if you are like me it gets a little trying. Not only could I not sleep very deeply because having your nipple constantly suck on is hard to ignore but you end up laying in weird positions to accommodate the suckling baby. Fast-forward 2 years and I have a 3-month-old daughter who is also a great baby but she sleeps 5-6 hour stretches at night. I believe these tips are  key to getting her to sleep well at night, which equals a good nights sleep for mommy. *Disclaimer – I am not a medical professional and I am not suggesting you co-sleep with your child if you are not comfortable with it. I’m only giving you example of things that have worked for my family and me.

1.     Give baby a nightly bath – Baths are wonderfully soothing to babies, especially with lavender essential oil and Epson salt added to the water. I didn’t do this with my son but now since I’m already bathing him, I put her in there too. It also is a marker in the day that signals to her it’s going to be time for bed soon.

2.     Don’t sleep with baby right next to you – My son slept right next to me, in between my husband and I. With my daughter we have a sidecar setup, where the crib is right up against our bed and has only 3 sides for very easy access to her. I still feel connected and close to her but because she doesn’t smell my milk all night, she seem only to eat when she is hungry, not just because it is convenient.

3.     Don’t turn on the light- Light signals to the brain that it is time to wake up. This will disturb both you and your baby’s sleep rhythm. If you can do without, it will help both of you to fall back to sleep more quickly. If you feel you need some visibility, I recommend a dim book light that you can clip on to your nightstand and use during feeds and diaper chances.

4.     Limit diaper changes – I cloth diaper my children and often its hard to find a diaper that can last the entire night but if at all possible, change as few diapers as you can. I changed my son after every feeding which woke him up just when he got drowsy but with my daughter I only changed a poopy diaper at night. I use a stay dry type of diaper, such as fleece, with a prefold and her skin seems to tolerate it just fine.

5.     Nurse lying down – You may not be able to lie down initially to feed a newborn but once your baby becomes proficient at feeding it is quite easy to nurse while lying down. To nursed lying down lay on your side and have the baby lie facing you. You can lean forward or back to allow baby access to your breasts.  

Getting enough sleep with a new baby can be difficult but these tips may help you to get a little bit more.