HOW DID YOU MANAGE SLEEP DEPRIVATION?

Sleep deprivation is a killer! Oh gosh – this is a big one, as I am someone who definitely needs her sleep to rest and recharge. A big tip is to get the support of your partner or spouse. My husband always helped me manage the night shifts. He would change the diapers and bring the baby to me to nurse.

My next tip is to sleep in the day. When the baby sleeps, you sleep. That was my rule! I had thick blackout curtains that would enable me to forget what time of day it was, and I would just sleep.

Once my baby turned three months old, I also started pumping at a rapid pace. I then got my mum, helper or husband’s support to feed the baby the first feed for the night, which helped me get an uninterrupted five to six hours of sleep!

Nisha

I used coffee, chocolate and sweets to stay awake. Very naughty, but I nursed Matilda in my bed at night as there was no time during the day to rest. Melissa

I suffer from intermittent bouts of insomnia, though they have nothing to do with my kids. The most effective solutions for me are taking a hot bath before bed, drinking peppermint tea, reading a fiction novel, taking melatonin and, most importantly, not worrying about it. It’s amazing what one can achieve off the back of very little sleep. Obviously, it’s not sustainable in the long term, but I do think accepting it stops the cycle from lasting too long. Lucy

For the first year, I largely co-slept with my bubs, which really helped us both get as much sleep as possible – I didn’t have to physically get out of bed to breastfeed. When the kids moved to their own room, I would also use Michael Sealy sleep hypnosis videos on YouTube to help lull me into a deep sleep whenever I was struggling. Dee

I would take a power nap of 30 minutes to an hour in the morning or afternoon when the baby was sleeping.

Evelyn

The best tip was from my mother-in-law, who advised against having the baby sleep in your room.

Nicola

Have an afternoon nap while your baby naps.

Grace