Are you and your baby getting enough sleep? Whilst everyone is different, researchers advise that adults need 7-8 hours of sleep per night and children require more than this and the exact amount depends on the age of the child.
How much sleep does the average adult need?
Whilst their children and babies may be getting enough sleep, for many parents, sleeping 7-8 hours is merely a fantasy. A recent survey of our Safe Hands client’s found that 41% of parents surveyed got less than 5 hours sleep a night. In fact one Mum of twins that we spoke to remembers surviving on as little as 3 hours of broken sleep for months on end.
How much sleep does a baby need?
The amount of sleep a baby needs depends on the age of your baby. Baby Centre UK recommends the below sleep schedule, however every child is different.
Tips for getting to sleep
Whilst there are lots of sleep tips out there for getting your baby to sleep through the night, the below tips are for the Mums and Dads to help get some sleep also:
- Sleep during the day when your baby naps. The housework and other jobs can wait!
- Go to bed early and take advantage of the first section of your baby’s sleep which is generally the longest and deepest part of their sleep cycle. For example if your baby is asleep at 7pm, aim to go to bed at 8pm as this is your best chance of catching a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.
- Turn your phone off or place it in a different room to avoid distractions.
- Enlist help where possible. Whether it be expressing and getting your partner to do a night feed or possibly looking at a night nurse to give you a break one night or even a cleaning agency to provide help around the house for you.
- Consider introducing a dream feed depending on your baby’s age and dietary requirements.
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