How to Induce it
One of the concerns for new parents is the anticipated lack of sleep that comes with a newborn. Everyone will tell a pregnant woman: "get the sleep you can now" "sleep in and have breakfast in bed - all this will go once you have your baby." As with everything we are all different and some of us can survive on very little sleep while others need a solid eight hours a night. In fact, with new Zealand statistics for Post Natal Depression (PND) now officially at 20% and sleep deprivation very much seen as a contributing factor to PND, sleep or the lack of it is not something to be taken lightly.
Babies when they are born often have problems differentiating night from day - the blissful babe sleeps all day only to keep both parents up half the night being unsettles and seemingly ravenous after its had days rest. Feeding in the early hours - an inevitable part of early parenting - becomes traumatic and the new mother loses sleep which when compounded with giving birth and breastfeeding can start to add up. If this baby is a second of third child then matters are made worse as the mother also has to tend to demanding mothering duties during the day and cannot sleep when required. There are many publicized sleeping methods - some encourage strict patterns of sleeping and feeding times every four hours. Others are considered lenient and encourage the baby and her habits to rule the household when demand feeding is adhered to. I must be clear in my opinion that neither is right or wrong. Your approach in settling the baby must be based on your instinct as a mother and what is best for your baby and for you. It can be a scary time for a new mother in the first days and weeks of motherhood and knowing what is best - what each cry means - and feeling confident with your decision can take a while. Remember there is no training for motherhood and time and practice make perfect. Every situation, family, mother and baby are different so no blanket approach can be used to treat everyone.
There are some good hints and guidelines, which can be employed to help in every woman's goal to have a settled, well-slept and happy baby. Remember the longer the baby is up and unsettled the longer you are as well and and a baby with no sleep is apt to being grumpy and very miserable. I have spoken to many mothers with babies ranging from 2 weeks to 2 years saying "she doesn't need to sleep during the day." I refute this and have on many occasions been able to instill a daily or BI-daily routine sleep to both the child and mother's relief. It may take 2-3 days of apparent agony with a confused and angry child not used to being put down during the day and a mother feeling anguished at listening to the infant's frustrated cries. But it does work eventually.
Natural Suggestions to Aid Sleep
Diet
It is imperative to continue having a good and varied diet once the baby is born, whether you are breast feeding or not. As life takes on a whole new meaning and the baby takes up all the new mother's time, diet is often neglected. Essential vitamins and minerals aid sleep and reduce stress. If you are not getting the nutrients you need and you are breast feeding, the baby will not be either, and the quality and often the quantity of breast milk will be reduced which will often cause the baby to wake more to be fed.
Specific Foods
Magnesium and Calcium rich foods to aid sleep and reduce stress such as almonds, dairy, salmon, avocado, molasses, green leafy vegetables, and fruit etc. B Vitamins are essential for calming the nervous system and aiding with energy stores. Brown rice, eggs, whole grains and fruit and vegetables are all good sources of these.
Spirulina is a fantastic source of essential foods and is great to use as a daily multi vitamin either in a tablet form or made into a nutritious shake. It is an excellent source of iron and protein and supplements the diet beautifully. (NB some individuals are intolerant to Spirulina and may not be able to take this.)
a) Avena Sativa by Naturo Pharm
This is a great homoeopathic remedy. Avena sativa is "oats" a very calming food. It is fabulous at relaxing a restless child - also great for a strung out mother or father, either at night or during the day. This is brilliant also in the last weeks of pregnancy when the mind won't stop and the body is uncomfortable. Give a few drops 1 hour before bed/sleep time and then again after 1/2 hour if baby or adult is still awake or not relaxed.
b) Chamilla Rad 6x by Naturo Pharm
This is especially useful for restless sleep due to teething. Adhere to the dosage on the bottle.
c) Chamomile Tea
1 cup 3/4 hour before breastfeeding to relax and aid sleep. If a baby has colic or seems unsettled Chamomile tea, (1/2 to one teaspoon of flowers or a tea bag WELL STRAINED AND COOLED in a bottle and given to the baby) is great to give if waking in the night and not due for a feed or necessarily hungry. This will both satiate the need to suckle and aid sleep. As an anti catarrh herb and anti viral it is great when a child has a cold which is preventing sleep. As a gentle sedative this works remarkably well to calm and sedate.
d) Skin to Skin Contact
This is slightly controversial as it is often advised that a baby should be able to be put in their cot to learn to sleep alone. However, as with a sling or front pack the mother's heartbeat is very calming to a newborn as it reminds them of being in the uterus. If it suits you to hold the baby to get it to sleep this method with gently rocking or singing is an age-old treatment for an unsettled baby.
e) Baby Massage
1 drop of lavender essential oil or 1 drop of Chamomile essential oil in a sweet almond oil base. Warm the oil in the hands and, after the bath gently massage the body to calm and encourage sleep. Both of the oils are relaxing and will induce sleep. They are excellent to use if colic is a cause for insomnia or restlessness. This is great to do in dim light with music, as it will ready the baby for sleep. 1 drop of lavender essential oil on the cot sheet or bumper away from where the baby's head will directly lie, will reduce the risk of waking prematurely before the next due feed.
f) Routines for Sleep Time
Music - using the same music at sleep time helps the baby to know that it is expected to sleep no matter what the time of day or night. Classical music is great for this and there are now compilations such as "Bach for Babies" or "Mozart for Mums" which are very suitable.
Candles - it is a good idea to nappy change and feed in the middle of the night to low light or candles to reduce the chance of the baby becoming too alert and wanting to play. Talking should be kept to a bare minimum and should be very quiet.
Repeating Words - the same words or phrases being used at sleep time will also help the baby to realize that sleep is the next thing to happen. For example I still say: "Night, night, sleep tight, sweet dreams my darlings" - a saying I adopted when my girls were first born and now they chime in with the "sweet dreams my darlings" and drop off to sleep pretty quickly. Making an association with sleep and words or music is important and will often really help when trying to create a routine for daytime naps etc. when the baby is past the first weeks of simply sleeping and feeding.
Routine
This word keep cropping up! I feel that without becoming too stringent about clock watching it is great to try and settle your baby at similar times throughout the day to create some sort of routine with feeding, awake time and sleep time. If routine suits your life then chances are it will suit your baby also. I have really noticed that more young babies are far more likely to be settled and sleep more easily, the less hectic the life of the mother is. if the baby is snatching naps in the car seat throughout the day it will not be getting valuable sleep and this could impact on a sleepless early evening when the baby may become crotchety and overtired (a common cause for not being willing to be put down to sleep). if possible, reduce your commitments for the first few months after the birth as this will help to give the baby structure in its day and aid sleeping at proper times.
Herbal Medicine
Aside from teas such as peppermint if wind is an issue, and a chamomile to induce sleep, there are many wonderful sedative herbs, which can be used to help both you and your baby to sleep. Sometimes after the arrival of a newborn the nervous system of the mother although tired, becomes hyperactive and she may lie awake listening to her baby's breathing or the noises it is making. It can be a very scary time and lack of confidence can add to this.
If the mother is breast feeding, herbs can be given to her and these will also aid the baby's sleeping. If she is formula feeding, herbs can still be given to the baby at a much-diluted potency and then separately to the mother if necessary. It is essential to seek the advice of a qualified medical herbalist as the digestive tract of the newborn is highly fragile and needs to be cared for accordingly.
Above All
Rest if possible when the baby rests so you do not become exhausted. The first few months are crucial to your health and your strength and emotional balance as a mother. Don't forget sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture in some countries and so trying to avoid this when possible is vital. The more sleep you and your baby can get the more you are likely to enjoy your new role as a mother.
Disclaimer
As we are all different the above remedies are only guidelines and may not work for everyone. Please seek the advice of a qualified Naturopath or Medical Herbalist if symptoms persist or you have other concerns.
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