7 Reasons You Can't Sleep When The Baby Sleeps

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New parents are often told to adjust their sleeping patterns based on the timing when their baby sleeps. This can be very hard during the first few weeks of being a new parent since newborn babies tend to sleep for 16 to18 hours per day (1).

Mothers usually tend to take a nap with their baby once they are done nursing. However, this sleeping setup does not last very long. As your baby grows, their activity increases. This means that you may not find yourself with as much free time as before. Your baby’s increasing demands can take a toll on your naptime which may leave you sleep deprived.

Although the best way to catch up on your sleep is to take a power nap when your baby is asleep, sometimes this is just not be possible. If you have ever wondered why your body is betraying you just when you need it the most, well, we have got answers!

Below are 7 interesting reasons to justify a parent’s inability to sleep as their baby slumbers.

In This Article

1. Shower Time

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As your baby grows, so do their demands. You may find yourself with shorter breaks between tending to your baby’s needs. This means that the best time to take an uninterrupted shower is when your baby is asleep (translation: bye-bye, nap time!).

2. Too Many Tasks

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There are times when your baby may feel like putting up a fight as you try to put them to sleep. You may end up spending a couple of hours before finally emerging victorious. This leaves very little time for errands such as cooking, eating, taking a bath or walking the dog. Taking a nap, unfortunately, ends up falling very low in the pecking order.

3. Hobbies

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As mentioned earlier, sometimes you may be unable to sleep when your baby sleeps because you have several tasks to complete. However, there are also times when you use the much-needed alone time for personal pleasures like gardening, reading a book, watching a movie or even spending some quality time with your partner.

4. Poor Timing

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After successfully putting your baby to sleep, you decide to head to your bed and catch up on some sleep when… the baby is up again crying for your presence.

That’s right. Sometimes your baby’s sleep duration just isn’t sufficient enough for you to catch some shut-eye.

5. Insomnia

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There are other times when you decide to take a nap, while your baby is asleep, but you simply cannot fall asleep! New parents tend to suffer from insomnia, as they are unable to maintain a healthy sleep cycle. Although you may try catching up on your sleep during the day, your body fights to keep you awake in order to stay true to your circadian rhythm and take a longer, uninterrupted rest during the night.

Little does your body know, however, that you have a needy baby in the adjacent room that simply loves to enjoy your company as they party through the night.

6. Planning Your Schedule Around Your Baby’s Sleep Cycle

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Let’s be honest – babies are best when they are sleeping! For then comes those tranquil periods when you aren’t fussing over them or having to entertain them. Hence, when it comes to grabbing a bite to eat, visiting a friend or finally gracing the mall, you may choose to deliberately forego sleep and schedule these activities when you are free from your little one’s demands.

7. You Need To Be Awake To Let Your Baby Sleep

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Sometimes your baby can’t fall asleep unless you are actively awake and monitoring them. There are times when a little one will only sleep if you gently rock them in your arms, drive them around in a car or take them out for a stroll in the park. Which, of course, means no daytime naps for the mommy.

You should be ready to sacrifice your sleep in order to care for your child as well as keep up with your own life. Studying your little tyke’s sleep cycle can help you learn the best time to catch up on some much-needed slumber. Best of luck!

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