Best Tips For New Mothers to Manage Stress & Sleep Deprivation

To all the new mothers reading this, you know how motherhood presents itself a fair share of difficulties. The sleepless nights, the worries, frustrations and stress. Getting enough rest is a challenge itself, and when you do not get enough rest you are more likely to feel stressed. While taking care of your baby is important, let’s not forget that you should be taking care of yourself too. Here is a guide to help you learn how to manage your sleep, therefore in turn helps you to manage your stress!

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Why are you sleep deprived and how does it cause stress?

For all normal adults, the optimal healthy amount of sleep needed is 7 to 8 hours every night.

Sleeping persistently for less than that can actually lead you to be sleep deprived. Not sleeping enough can cause many underlying health problems which can include more frequent mood swings and even depression. 

Surveys have found that nearly half of all parents with children six months or younger get just one to three hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. On average, each new parent loses a staggering 109 minutes of sleep every night for the first year after having a baby. In addition, it has been found that stress in a person increases when the length and quality of sleep decreases. 

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Surviving the newborn days: How to get enough sleep

Here are some tips to help you manage better sleep:

Sleep when your baby sleeps

A newborn baby takes frequent naps lasting anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, for a total of 16 to 18 hours of sleep each day. Hence, when the baby sleeps you too should get some shut eye. This ensures that you can have some, if not enough rest.

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Asking for help and taking turns with your partner

Get your partner and family members to help you! Another pair of hands would definitely help ease some of the chores you have to do. Whether it’s picking up groceries, sweeping the floor or holding the baby while you nap. 

You and your partner can share feedings, diaper changes and other nighttime baby duties. If you are breastfeeding, you may consider pumping some of your breast milk, so your spouse can do his part in night feeding too, allowing you to get some much needed extra rest.

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Start a bedtime routine

Starting a bedtime routine can help your baby to get used to sleeping at the same time every night, giving you ample time to do your errands and allocate time for rest. A bedtime routine should be relaxing and predictable with the same things happening every night at about the same time.

The routine might include:

• Giving your baby a bath
• Massaging your baby
• Putting on nightclothes for your baby
• Telling your baby a bedtime story
• Singing or playing a lullaby under dim lighting

To keep yourself interested and motivated in repeating the same bedtime routine, do not include things in the routine that you do not enjoy doing.

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Managing stress as a new mom

The joy of being a mother often comes along with worries, strain and pressure of taking care of your newborn. You may be overwhelmed by these, which can cause plenty of stress. Here are some useful tips to help you manage stress.

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Take a break and make time for yourself

Sometimes it is necessary to just take a step back from everything and make some time for yourself. Whilst being a mom often means putting the needs of your baby first, it is easy to forget about your own needs. Remember to make time for yourself. Do things that you enjoyed before your baby came along, for yourself and with your partner. This will help restore some balance in your life. It can also remind you of the person you are, as well as being a parent.

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Exercise as a form of stress release

Exercise is a great way to relieve physical and mental stress. Not only can it help release the positive endorphins, but it can also relieve muscle tension, give you some time out or a change of scene, and give you the chance to focus on something else. Even a few minutes here and there spread throughout the day can help you have more energy. Take your baby for a walk, do some physical activity at home during the baby’s daytime naps. Exercise has definitely been proven to relax and help cope with stress!

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Learn the signs

Often we find ourselves going berserk from all the stress buildup. We might have even accidentally hurt others by just reacting to our stress. Therefore it is important to know the signs early and take control of your emotions. Take notice when you’re feeling these physical signs or when your mood changes. It is often that your body is trying to tell you something. Deep breathing, music or talking to someone can reduce heightened levels of stress. It is normal for parents to feel like this at challenging times. Take the time for yourself to recollect your thoughts and feelings, and remember that you will eventually overcome this.

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Learn to ask for help

As much as possible, many of us  aspire to be independent. The human race probably inherently wants to achieve perfection as much as possible in all areas of life which sometimes can be really daunting for some. The pressure of having it all together all the time can be too much. So if you and your partner become overwhelmed with juggling between household chores, the baby and work, then seek help from others to help around the house and your baby. 

Consider getting help from friends and family or external help like cleaners, nannies or a confinement food home delivery service like Tian Wei Signature. In particular, preparing healthy balanced food while taking care of a newborn can be very daunting. Therefore, getting help from a confinement food catering service like Tian Wei Signature would definitely be able to ease your burden significantly. 

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How good nutrition helps with your mental well-being

They say food brings happiness. The truth is having a well-balanced and nutritional diet is key to a healthy mind and body. Taking care of your baby takes a lot of energy. That is why special attention to your diet during your confinement period. Postpartum nutrition plays an important role in optimizing recovery from pregnancy and childbirth as well as helping to decrease the risk of maternal mental health disorders.

Here at Tian Wei Signature, we are committed to provide you with the best confinement food home delivery service. We serve MSG-free traditional and fusion meals that are dietitian-guided and well-balanced to give you the best nutritional value for your confinement days ahead. With our award-winning confinement delivery Singapore service, we strive to serve you nothing but the best for your confinement period.  

In the meantime, are you looking for the best baby products for your baby’s needs? Check out MumChecked for all the mom and baby essentials.

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