Young Parents Guide

How sleep deprivation affects your relationship with spouse

Posted on 24. Feb, 2009 by Eve in Family Matters

Becoming parents is one the biggest transitions you will ever go through as a couple. I am sure you know what I meant. As new parents we went through the inital phase of challenge. The birth of newborn, can bring you closer together, or it can cause more stress and conflict than you have ever experienced in your relationship.

To be able to successfully go through the initial stages of parenthood and into early childhood and beyond depends on your willingness to look honestly at what you need, as individuals and as a couple, to keep your marriage ALIVE.

New parents does take an adjustment period to deal with the fact that they no longer have their partner’s undivided attention. As the couple learns to balance their time and ensure that both their partner and their child are receiving enough of their attention, there may be a period where the stress of making this adjustment causes a break down in communication.

Also, as mentioned earlier typically the birth of a baby leads to a complete change of schedule as well as a stretch of sleep deprivation for the couple. While the couple may have previously been used to doing things as they please, they now realize that most activities must be planned around the baby’s schedule which is often unpredictable. This new scheduled coupled with the lack of sleep that typically plagues new parents can put a great deal of pressure on the relationship.

To avoid this type of communication break down it is important for the couple to realize that they need to allot time to spend with the baby and also with each other. They also need to realize that the sleep deprivation is affecting them both and take turns getting up with the baby.

It amazing how parents basic self care – whether attending to their physical well being or creating personal time for one another , sets the tone in a household for stability devlopment in the children. There is nothing more important than having a good sleep.