10 Positives About Nights With Your Sleepless Baby | Tips for New Moms

Sleepless nights! All moms have had them with their newborns and beyond.

If you are a mom then you know sleepless nights with a baby aren’t easy. They are something we sometimes don’t have much control over.

I’m sure you’re exhausted and didn’t know exactly what you signed up for when you got pregnant. After 3 kids each one brought those same feelings. I’ve struggled with postpartum symptoms twice. 🙋‍♀️ Being a new mom is a tough gig. 😰😓

We don’t decide when our baby who is sleeping perfectly through the night gets a bout of teething and is suddenly screaming through each and every night. 😢 Or when a vacation disrupts your perfect sleep schedule that you worked so hard on.

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It’s so easy to get disappointed or down on yourself when your baby isn’t sleeping well. Whether it’s temporary or your baby was never a good sleeper to begin with.

You’ll end up getting in a negative mindset wishing you had the sleep you crave. Staying up all night reading baby sleep tips.

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How long does new mom exhaustion last?

New mom exhaustion is NO JOKE, I remember Googling this exact question when I was postpartum with all 3 of my babies.

One study shows that 60% of postpartum women experience severe sleep deprivation that contributes to increased depression symptoms.

In fact, studies also show that most new parent exhaustion doesn’t end for 6 years after birth. I tend to believe it, as I still have sleep battles with my 5 year old son.

Coping with New Mom Fatigue

We sometimes blame ourselves for our baby’s sleeplessness. Is our routine not working? Is the lighting not right? Am I missing something?

In all reality it isn’t your fault when your baby doesn’t sleep through the night. Growing baby’s go through so many changes and we just have to be their to support them during their growth.

Here are some ways to pass the time at night:

Sleepless nights are HARD. I was always so scared I’d fall asleep while breastfeeding. I find it’s best to keep occupied with something to stay awake. Here are some ideas of things that helped me:

• Listen to Audiobooks– Get a free trial to Scribd, Audiobooks.com, or Audible and listen to audiobooks at night with your baby.
• Watch shows- Again take advantage of free trials! Sometimes you can get a free trial for Peacock, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. Check these links to see if you can get one!
• Learn a new skill on Craftsy or Skillshare. Both are pretty affordable and it’s easy to settle into a craft or hobby while breastfeeding at night.
• Sign up for free baby samples. I have a whole list of them HERE!
• Doing some late night shopping? Join my Saving with Sammy Facebook group where I share mom tips and deals.

Change Your Mindset About Sleepless Baby Nights

Even though we are into toddlerhood, we still have our sleepless nights here and there. They are tough, but totally worth it.

Yes, I said totally worth it. Because even though sleepless nights are hard, there is a wealth of positives that go with them!

1. They Are Making You Strong 💪 Sure it’s hard and you are tired. But,  you gain strength each night you manage to stay up with your baby. After the night is over you can celebrate the accomplishment of the strength it took you to pull it off. When they grow up you can celebrate again for the tremendous strength it took to push through those sleepless nights with pure strength!
   
2. They Are Increasing Your Patience 🕊 It takes patience to raise a baby. Sleepless nights will try your patience like no other. With each baby and each sleepless night I feel my patience growing. This patience carries with you as your kids grow and in every life situation. If you can make it through the sleepless nights, you can make it through anything with patience.
   
3. They Are Growing Your Bond 🥰 Oh, the beautiful bond that grows during sleepless nights. If you can fight through the grumpiness and tired eyes to glance down at your beautiful baby you will realize that right there in your arms your bond is growing stronger. This one on one time was gifted to you. Hang on to these precious moments, they go so fast!
   
   Don’t worry about the “spoil your baby” myth. According to UC Davis Health, holding, rocking, nursing, and snuggling your baby increases your bond and helps your baby build better relationships as an adult.
   
4. They Are Tapping Into Your Empathy 🤗 You become so much more empathetic when you have a baby. All of the sudden you know what other mom’s are going through.  You empathize with your baby too, when they are hurting and can’t tell you what’s wrong. This is an eye opening gift that sleepless nights give.
   
5. They Are Giving You Time ⌚ It’s true when people tell you it will go by in the blink of an eye. Your baby is growing and fast! Sleepless nights give us more time with our little ones.
   
   More time to enjoy them as beautiful babies. Maybe even some time to sneak in an episode of a show you’ve been wanting to watch, apply for awesome free baby samples, or listen to an audio book.
   
6. They Are Allowing You to Reflect 🤔 Nighttime is a quiet time to reflect. You are alone with your baby getting time to reflect on motherhood, life, victories, your wishes and dreams. It’s during these sleepless nights that I decided to pursue my dream of working from home so I could be home with my kids.
   
7. They Are Teaching You Persistence 🏃‍♀️ Persistence definitely comes with sleepless nights. As you try and try again to figure out a routine that works for you and your baby. Don’t give up! These nights won’t last forever and someday your persistence will pay off and your baby will finally be sleeping better. Only, then you will be longing for those sleepless nights.
   
8. They Are Releasing Your Creativity 🎨 Sometimes sleepless nights surprise you with a wave of creativity. At least this is true for me. Great ideas for blog posts, meal planning, and even different sleep routines for my baby have come to me in the middle of the night. If you are a creative person keep a journal, phone, or laptop near to write down these middle of the night ideas as they come.
   
9. They Are Granting You Peace 🌚 This almost goes hand in hand with reflection. As you are up in the quiet of night with your baby, why not take some time to appreciate the peacefulness around you. If you have older kids, like me, this is especially true. No time is more peaceful than at night when everyone is asleep. You may not be able to sleep, but you can relax your mind.
   
10. They Are Expanding Your Heart 💗 Sleepless nights truly are a labor of love. You and your baby both feel that love. As you care through them during the night, getting them through growing pains and teething woes your heart is expanding. A mother’s love is so powerful and grows exponentially during these sleepless nights with your baby.

You are going to be challenged trying to get through these sleepless nights with your baby. But, make no doubt about it, there is definitely a positive side to be looked at. The next time you are battling sleep with your baby remember the amazing benefits and stay positive!

Are you struggling with sleepless nights? Have you found any positives? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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