- Trade off nights of sleep with your spouse. No one will like this arrangement, but at least you can get some sleep every other night.
- Consider co-sleeping with a newborn. Many people recommend it since co-sleeping babies have a lower incidence of SIDS. But the greatest benefit is that mom can nurse while half-asleep and roll over and go back to sleep immediately. Some moms almost “sleep right through it” and can’t remember nursing during the night.
- If you have to get a night of absolute sleep due to job demands, discuss it with your wife and then don’t hesitate to sleep in another room. Just don’t make it a routine.
- If you have an early-riser, go to bed when the kids do. Most people think this is a good idea, but fail to implement it since it steals the only time of the day when they get some peace and quiet.
- Break the night into shifts. One parent takes the 10–2 and the other the 2-6. The hard part here is that one parent of the two is usually the more “conscientious” of the pair.
- Get a rocking cradle and put the baby in it right next to you.
- Gorge the baby with milk. Babies always sleep better after a big meal. Just make sure the inevitable diaper change falls on your spouse’s watch.
– Paul Banas
Founder/Editor