The expectation is that having a baby wrecks your sleep, and you feel exhausted and sleep-deprived for 18 years until they fly the coop for college. But I’d argue that having a baby was actually the best thing to ever happen to my sleep.
Why? Because my baby, with her healthy brain and intact circadian rhythm, wakes up at 6:45 a.m. like clockwork. And there’s no snooze button on a baby (believe me, I’ve searched high and low). Her adorable cries have forced a rigid sleep schedule on the whole household in a way that no alarm clock ever could have. And it has been amazing.
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So here’s how to sleep like a person with a baby, whether you have one or not:
Step 1: Assume your wake-up time is not long after sunrise. Aim for something in the range of 6 to 7 a.m.
Step 2: Accept that this wake-up time is seven days a week, nonnegotiable, and as certain as death and taxes. Live by this. If you have kids, they’ll take care of this for you. If you don’t, it’s the honor system. This is a relationship between you and your alarm clock. With each snooze, you’re only cheating yourself.
Step 3: You need to get in bed early enough that you get enough sleep, even though the alarm is going off at the crack of dawn. If you need eight hours of sleep, then count back about eight and a half hours from your wake-up time, and that’s when you need to be in bed.
