If you change your sleeping schedule to suit your baby’s sleeping pattern of short sleep times on and off during the day and night you could be in trouble. When your baby does eventually sleep through the night, you might have trouble getting back into your old sleeping routine.
If you had no trouble sleeping before your baby arrived, it could take a few weeks before you are able to reprogram your sleeping habits. Almost everyone goes through a bad patch where sleep is concerned at some point when there is a new baby. However, there are things that you can do to prevent something that only lasts for a few months becoming a long-term issue.
After you have fed your baby, if you do not fall asleep within 20 or 30 minutes, then get up and do something, preferably quiet and boring such as folding laundry or updating your address book. There is really no point in lying in bed trying to fall asleep - you will only become frustrated. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy - do not fall asleep in front of the TV. Remind yourself that your bed is the place where you should fall asleep quickly. Do regular exercise - it does help to fall asleep faster. Avoid caffeine and alcohol - these will either keep you awake or make you toss and turn during your sleep.
