The 10 essential, science-backed sleep hacks every new mum needs to know

7. Focus on good nutrition

“One thing that most new parents need is a good dose of energy to help them get through the day and also to aid in the recovery post birth,” says Charlotte Stirling-Reed, author of new book “How to wean your baby”. Here are some of her favourite energy-rich foods that are quick, easy and grab-able for new mums who need it.

Kick the day off with porridge: Energy rich, filling and a really versatile option that you can add your own twist to. Try my carrot cake porridge recipe and add you own twist or for something a little quicker try Overnight Oats which literally take two minutes to put together.
Snack on nuts and seeds or monkey mix (a mix of nuts, seeds and dried fruits), which will help top you up with energy and offer plenty of important fibre and nutrients too

Wholegrain crackers and cheese: A great option post dinner or as a small evening snack – this option offers some wholegrains and proteins along with some of the all-important B vitamins. Serve this along with some tomatoes or celery sticks to add extra fibre too.

Peanut butter: This food is your friend if you’re needing a little energy boost! It also contains plenty of vitamins and minerals and fibre. Stir it into porridge, spread it on your toast or just simply mix it into your dishes (think satay sauce, stir fries or curries).

Add salmon into your meals: Baked salmon can be a fab and easy meal option, especially if you team with some frozen veggies and boiled potatoes. It’s also an energy rich food and contains healthy fats.

8. Lower your expectations

Heidi – The Parent and Baby Coach, says it’s important to lower expectations. “In the UK we are still well behind other countries in offering very little “time off”, especially for the supporting parent, but the reality is sleepless nights will continue into the first year. For those finding nights exhausting and broken, reducing the amount of tasks or social activity in the early months can help ease pressure on a new parent. It is easy to want to rush back into normal life but giving yourself time as a new parent to adjust and slowing down your pace can really help with levels of exhaustion.” She also believes it’s vital to ask for help where possible – in modern day society, we are not great at either asking for help, or indeed offering it out. Busy lifestyles mean we don’t want to be a burden for others, nor do we often have time to offer it up ourselves. Finding half an hour to hold a friend’s baby whilst she showers, or taking easy to cook ready meals over on an evening can really help new parents in the transition period where even cooking dinner can feel like too much.

9. Enjoy mindful moments 

As Heidi explains: “We know that sleep deprivation is directly linked to mental health. Long and broken nights can increase anxiety, negative thoughts and overwhelm. Whilst each day may feel like a struggle, laying with baby and practising a few minutes of mindfulness even once a day, can boost mood and help mum focus on the smaller details; baby’s eye lashes, little wrinkles and creases and that newborn smell. This is enough feel good factor in small bursts to make the longer nights seem totally worth it.”\

10. Limit screen time

Heidi says that whilst scrolling may seem like the obvious idea to help us stay awake during night feeds, the light levels from devices and screens can reduce our ability to fall back to sleep. Keeping a warm yellow light on, rather than using a phone light can help a mother fall back to sleep more easily – getting more overall ZZZ’s than using a phone otherwise.