Like most new parents, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time – it’s been nearly two years – and I am on the lookout for a good strategy.
Sleep is society’s “top modern problem” according to Professor David Hillman, Chair of the Sleep Health Foundation.
“About 30 per cent of the community complain of inadequate sleep on a daily or near daily basis and that’s across all age groups,” he said.
The causes for poor sleep change from teenage years to adulthood – from social media to new parenting.
“Throughout life, sleep is under challenge and there are strategies to cope with each of those challenges,” said Professor Hillman.
How to get the best night’s sleep.Post continues after video.
“Some brains are better at coping with disrupted sleep than others,” says Professor Hillman.
I know which camp I am in.
He says some people seem to be “born for shift work” and can get by with relatively little sleep.
However, the sleep expert says most people who suffer from a little bit of disrupted sleep get a bit of daytime tiredness but if there’s a big decrease in sleep, that can cause excessive daytime sleepiness.
The effects of poor sleep can include tiredness, lethargy, irritability, poor productivity, difficulty getting things done and slow reaction times.
Julie Maddox advises to sleep when the baby sleeps. Image supplied.
I fear I am nearly at my limit of fragmented sleep. I just want to go to sleep and wake up the next day.
I've had an unrealistic expectation of a full-night's sleep since my baby boy was around six-weeks-old. One of my new mum friends had a baby who was "sleeping through the night" by then. Gwyneth Paltrow's first baby was "sleeping through" the night by six weeks.
Julie Maddox, a Tresillian clinical nurse consultant, says "sleeping through" may mean six hours - if you're lucky.