22/02/2026
Sleep deprivation shares a lot of traits with postnatal depression - and the two tend to go hand in hand during the early days of motherhood. One day you’re excitedly decorating your baby’s nursery and batch cooking freezer meals, and the next you’re spending your maternity leave pushing a swing in tears because you’re an emotional wreck.
I genuinely think that getting good sleep helped my recovery from PND. If my baby slept well, I slept well (sleep is therapy for your brain after all!), so I wanted to share with you the actions that I took towards great sleep for all of us:
💛Make a plan - Your own plan. Try not to listen to well meaning friends and family, do what works for you, from sources you trust, and use a method you feel comfortable with
💛Get your partner on board - talk honestly about how you’re feeling, and understand how your partner can support you - either during the day with household tasks, or during the night with the baby
💛Consistency - Be consistent with your plan and your routine. This may mean a 2 week period when you have more limited social events or classes, but your baby will appreciate the consistency to help them learn, and build their routine.
💛Professional help - If you haven’t already, enlist the support of your Health Visitor, GP, charitable organisation or trusted friend - even just talking to someone who listens can be therapeutic
💛Fresh air - Yes, I know we live in the UK where we barely see that big hot yellow thing in the sky, but just getting out into the morning light and moving your body (even with the pram in tow) can do wonders.
Working on your baby’s sleep doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You don’t need to leave your baby to cry alone for hours, and you don’t need to make record-breaking progress in the first couple of nights - take it at your own pace.
