The One Thing That Helped Me Survive Sleepless Nights With My Babies
Practical Point
Find something you genuinely enjoy doing that you can do during those long nighttime wake ups. It won’t help your baby sleep, but it might make you feel a little more at peace.
Story
You know those nights where it’s the wee hours of the morning and you’re up with the baby…again. They won’t fall back asleep no matter what you do. They scream when you put them down but settle the moment you pick them up. You’re exhausted. The whoosh of the sound machine is almost maddening. The frustration starts creeping in, and somehow you’re mad at a tiny human who just wants your love. You bounce a little harder, pat a little faster, sing a little louder, and stare at the clock as the minutes, or hours, crawl by.
Sleep has never come easily for either of my boys. The number of hours I’ve spent awake in the middle of the night is astronomical. I was going crazy just scrolling my phone. Every video seemed to have a baby sleeping peacefully, parents saying they’d discovered the one trick that finally worked, or another must have product “guaranteed” to help babies sleep through the night. I’ll be honest, I bought several of those miracle products. None of them worked for us. Instead of making the nights easier, scrolling just left me even more frustrated.
I remember thinking, “If I’m going to be awake anyway, I need something to make these nights feel less miserable.” Then I looked at the unread stack of books on my nightstand and had an idea. I told my husband that I NEEDED a Kindle because, maybe, if I could at least read a book, I could keep the frustration at bay.
It worked. The sleep didn’t get any better, but I enjoyed the nights a whole lot more than I did before.
I found myself getting lost in the stories and forgetting that I was supposed to be asleep. I was much happier living vicariously through fictional book characters than comparing myself to others on the internet. I even had the time to read sleep training books. I actually read the books for my book club. It was a relief to stop staring at the clock.
Some nights I still cried and wished I was sleeping instead. But I knew inevitably I would be awake (at the very least to nurse), so having something I genuinely enjoyed doing made all the difference.
Give Yourself Something to Look Forward To
Find something you like doing in a dark, quiet room. It doesn’t have to be reading. Maybe you throw in headphones and watch a movie, listen to your favorite music, or immerse yourself in a podcast. Perhaps you play a game on your phone or choose to meditate. Whatever it is, choose something that makes you feel good. If you’re going to be awake anyway, you might as well give yourself something to look forward to.
One Last Practical Thought
Every family, and every season of parenting, is different. I’m not here to convince you to do things exactly the way we do them. I’m simply sharing practical ideas that have made our lives easier. Take what works, tweak what doesn’t, and leave the rest behind. If one small idea makes your day easier, this post has done its job.
Practical Parent Picks
If I recommend a product here, it’s because it’s something we’ve actually used or something I genuinely think could make parenting a little easier. Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them—at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Practical Parent HQ.
This is the product that saved me. The light settings were easily adjustable for me to use in the dark without being so bright I’d disturb the baby. There’s tons of memory space and the battery lasts forever. Plus it’s easy to hold one handed.
This is a newer generation than the one we have but I am sure it is just as great! There’s tons of sounds to choose from, lots of different light colors, and an easy to use app. If you want to pay for more features (like scheduled times to turn on) you can but we chose not to. It works just great for us without the subscription!
Overcome Frequent Waking by Heidi Holvoet:
This book was a game changer for us. This helped us get our babies finally sleeping longer stretches. My favorite part is the online community that Heidi has built. She has answered countless questions I have posted at no additional cost and helped me feel extremely supported while trying to figure out their sleeping. Cannot recommend this book enough.
