My newborn is reaching her fifth day, and I’d appreciate your perspective on our current sleeping setup.
Throughout most of the day, both my husband and I are awake and engaged with our daughter, playing, talking, and fostering interaction. However, at night, my husband graciously allows me around 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep in the bedroom. He wakes me when she needs feeding, as we continue to feed on demand. During this time, he cares for her, though mostly through holding her and playing video games, which might not provide much stimulation for our baby girl. Afterward, he wakes me up for the morning shift, takes his rest, and I resume caring for our daughter, engaging her in activities like tummy time, conversation, and attending to chores.
I’m curious if this routine might affect her eventual ability to sleep through the night, or if it seems like a reasonable schedule for her development. While it certainly helps us parents manage sleep deprivation to some extent, we’re still feeling the effects of exhaustion. Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.
@ruthjohn While it’s great that both you and your husband are actively involved in caring for your newborn during nighttime feedings, it’s crucial to ensure these interactions offer more than just nourishment but also comfort and stimulation for your daughter. Try adding more interactive activities or soothing techniques during nighttime care to aid her development and create a suitable environment for sleep. Consistently sticking to a bedtime routine and gradually introducing methods for independent sleep can also benefit her long-term sleep patterns. If you’re unsure about how your current sleeping arrangement might affect her development, seeking advice from a pediatrician or sleep specialist can provide valuable insights tailored to her specific needs. Striking a balance between meeting her needs and managing parental exhaustion is vital for establishing a supportive environment that fosters healthy sleep habits and overall well-being.
Your current night routine, in which your spouse attends for your newborn while you receive 7 hours of unbroken sleep before switching, may be harming her potential to eventually sleep through the night. Improving our baby’s daytime sleep also helped him sleep better at night. Experts recommend taking regular, consistent naps to improve evening sleep. Adjusting nap lengths and routines helped us manage sleep loss and boosted our baby’s growth, while it did not result in immediate “sleeping through the night” success.