Sleep? What's that?
Pregnancy: Keep Cool
Due to pregnancy hormones, your body becomes warmer at night, which can make it harder to sleep, according to Oexman. He recommends turning down the thermostat to 65-68 degrees. If the evening is chilly, you can still pile on the blankets. "However, exposing your head to the cooler air will cool down your core and help you sleep better," he says.
Pregnancy: Get in the Nap Habit
Oexman advises taking naps during the day to make up for any sleep deficit. Normally, he doesn’t advise napping because it interferes with a good night’s sleep, but pregnant women have such fitful rest that he makes an exception. Limit the naps to 15 to 20 minutes, because any longer can make you feel drowsy afterward instead of refreshed, he adds.
Infant: Catch Some Z's
Infants won’t sleep through the night, because they need to be fed every few hours. Your best bet, therefore, is to “sleep when the baby sleeps,” recommends Dr. Cheryl Wu, a pediatrician in private practice in Manhattan, N.Y. So nap when the baby does, and go to bed early with the baby, even if it means letting household chores slide. “Your job is to take care of the baby, and the only way you can do that is to take care of yourself,” says Wu.
Infant: White Noise Machine
These sell for anywhere from $20 on up, and they help out on two fronts, says Oexman. First, the white noise will obscure household sounds that could wake your baby. Second, if you’re listening to your infant sleep on a monitor, the white noise machine will obscure the normal sounds of a baby—breathing, moving around—that could wake you up. However, it won’t mask the sound of your baby crying, so you will be able to attend to your infant when necessary, he says.
Infant: Adjust Your Pre-Sleep Ritual
Even after your baby is snoozing through the night, some moms find they don’t because they’re used to being up constantly. If this happens to you, set a soothing bedtime routine to help you get back into the good sleeping habit, recommends Wu. Read or do something else calming before hitting the sack, and avoid exercising, eating or watching any screens two hours prior to bedtime, as these can signal your brain to be wakeful, she says.
Kid: Know What Your Child Watches
Monitor what your youngster is watching on TV, DVD or a computer screen before bed. “While children may not seem scared during a show, frightening images can creep into their minds when they’re alone in bed and make it harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep,” says Karin Mahoney, a spokesperson for the Better Sleep Council. Ending the evening with a soothing routine, such as a bath and a bedtime story, will also help promote a good night’s sleep.
