When you have a newborn you do expect your sleep to be disrupted, these things come hand in hand. Let’s be honest, your body has probably been preparing you for the lack of sleep over the last few weeks or even months with your bump being uncomfortable and numerous trips to the loo in the night. But even with all this preparation it can really hit you hard.

I’m not exactly sure where the term ‘I slept like a baby’ comes from as in my experience, babies don’t sleep that well, or at least they sleep but not for long periods. Talk to other parents and you will probably hear a mix, those that have the perfect sleeper, their baby slept the whole night from 4 weeks old, to the other extreme where some parents are still struggling to get their toddler to sleep through. I think however when you dig a little deeper, every baby at some stage has struggled with sleep, so we’ve look at a few suggestions which may help if needed.

It is a fact of life, you have a newborn, you are going to experience some reduced sleep. During the last few months of pregnancy your body has been doing its best to prepare you for this. Uncomfortable bump, pins and needles and the numerous times you have to pop to the loo during the early hours is nature’s way of preparing you for the sleepless nights which will undoubtedly follow.

The Early Weeks

When pregnant, the ability to sleep can seem impossible, with every position uncomfortable, your back hurting and legs cramping, and that’s all before thinking about best positions to support your growing baby!

So how can you get that precious night’s sleep in pregnancy, when you really need it (bearing in mind once your baby arrives, you will be up constantly for those night time feedings!)

Clearly, sleeping on your stomach isn’t a good idea, and probably highly impracticable after the fifth month of pregnancy.

Never wake a sleeping baby –you’ve heard it more times than you care to remember – but is it true?

The answer is no, it’s as simple and complicated as that. But how do you cope with a newborn that doesn’t seem to know the difference between day and night?

Here are some hints and tips that we’ve picked up along the way.