How to Get Sleep with a New Baby by Benjamin Todd Eller

Your baby is here. Congratulations. It is vital that you take care of yourself as well as your baby. Sleep is essential. According to a study by PLOSone, Moms of newborns are exhausted due to the frequent interruptions of rest at night due to feedings and changings. The following is some advice on sleep. According to There have been many books written on sleep and it would be impossible for me to cover all the details of this primary need in one chapter or even one book. We are discovering more and more about the human brain and sleep itself. Having that said, people believe that you are giving your body a rest when you sleep. This is somewhat true. However, you are actually giving your brain a rest. Sleep cycles include the release of a chemical that causes alpha waves, beta waves, and theta waves to sweep through your brain. In short, your brain needs rest. There have been several tests to determine the effect of lack of sleep versus being drunk in simulated driving. These tests show that lack of sleep creates more accidents than drinking. Of course, one should not drink and drive or be exhausted and drive. According to Science News, February 8th, 2003; Vol.163 #6, lack of sleep can be deadly as it leads to heart attacks, high blood pressure, obesity and other physical disorders. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 40 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders and cost around 16 billion dollars a year in medical costs. The problem with this kind of evidence is that it may not involve you. You may be getting 8 hours of sleep a night and be quite fine. By the way, if you believe you are a person who needs less than 7 hours of sleep which is minimal, you are deluding yourself. Far less than 1% of people can actually maintain health on less than 7 hours a night. You may be used to it, but it is affecting your brain.

LACK OF SLEEP COSTS YOU HALF YOUR MONEY

Eating too much – Studies have shown that we do not sleep enough, we compensate with a higher calorie diet. Our system also is not as proficient with lack of sleep which affects digestion. Lack of sleep also increases blood pressure, risk of heart attacks, diabetes and many other disorders which skyrockets medical costs. $16 billion are spent by Americans each year dealing with sleep disorders.
Lack of concentration – the blood flow to different areas of the brain become significantly different even with a little lack of sleep. This makes us less productive at work.
Physical – We are physically weaker and we are slower.
Sex – Lack of sleep sometimes causes refusal of sex due to exhaustion, but can also cause wanting more to compensate for feeling bad. Studies show that individuals will often make irrational decisions with sex due to the brain not functioning properly. People are more likely cheat and have unsafe sex. Divorces are costly and getting a sexually transmitted disease is very costly both physically and financially.
MY FAVORITE ONE! – Lack of sleep causes anyone to be in a bad mood. Robert E Thayer of Cal State Long Beach has written some the most famous books and articles on moods. To put it simply, being in a bad mood trumps everything else. Billionaires in great health with beautiful wives can often be in bad moods. Believe me I know. I have worked with some. It also affects your work. Evidence has shown that individuals who are in bad moods work far less productively and make less money. The most effective CEOs are those who have passion and yes, inspire others. Good luck inspiring others with a bad mood.

Please answer the following questions for yourself.

How many nights a week are you getting enough sleep (7-10 hours or more)? A good’s night sleep means you feel refreshed when you wake up, and not tired. If the answer is every night, skip ahead to next section.
What are the three main causes of lack of sleep on the problematic nights?
Whose fault is it that you’re not getting enough sleep?
Are you eating three meals a day?
How much caffeine are you eating or drinking during the days? Such as two cups of coffee, a one chocolate bar etc.
On a scale from one to ten, how stressed do you feel when you go to bed?
On a scale from one to ten, how sensitive are you to noise? Are you easily bothered or awakened?
What are your three major worries? Such as marriage, job, money, children?
On the nights you are able to sleep, if any, what helps you the most? Such as not having to get up, sex, alcohol, or sleeping pill? What?
What do you do when you cannot sleep? Such as lie there and think, watch television, go on computer etc.

Many critics will say that lack of sleep could be caused by stress in marriage or in one’s personal life and therefore you must deal with that first before getting quality sleep. I completely agree that these things need to be attacked, but if you are not getting sleep it is difficult to deal with anything else. It is not my goal to make your sleep perfect right now but to simply make it better.