A good night's rest - how to get your baby to sleep

by Kate Hilpern ©Independent.ie
Why getting your baby into a routine can put an end to sleepless nights.
Sleep deprivation can come as a torturous shock to new parents, says sleep specialist Jo Tantum. "It's not that they haven't been warned - just that pregnant mums don't realise the extent to which it can affect every aspect of their lives."
It's no coincidence, she believes, that most mothers who suffer post-natal depression say they suffered from lack of sleep. "If you have a toddler, they don't understand why mummy and daddy are grumpy and have no time for them - which can make them play up. Your relationship with your other half suffers because he has to regularly go into the spare room to get enough sleep to be OK for work. And you start to feel unhealthy and that you can't cope. The dynamics of family life are affected big-time."
Then there's work. Tantum hears from hundreds of women who, having come to the end of their maternity leave, go back to work only to find they can't function. "Particularly in this climate, their bosses are saying: 'You're not working to your usual standard. If you want to keep your job, I suggest you do something about it.' No wonder the mother feels a failure in every respect.
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