Most adults need at least five hours of uninterrupted sleep every 24 hours in order to function properly and some need as much as eight hours, but new parents, research shows, get less than four hours sleep each night because of disturbances created by their children.  This major deficit in sleep required to function properly can lead to mood swings, depression, arguments and even break-ups.

As many as 12% of parents get less than 2.5 hours sleep per night.  1,000 parents were questioned to mark national Love Your Bed week.  It does seems unfair that a side effect of being a new parent renders you unfit to actually be a new parent by making you into a confused, exhausted person existing in a sleep-walking state.

Sleep Deprivation Symptoms

• Sleep derivation can leave you feeling disorientated, confused and irritable.
• It can effect your work and home life and indeed your feelings towards your baby because you blame them for your lack of sleep.
• It can be more difficult to handle stress or emotions and make you more clumsy and accident-prone.
• It can result in weight gain as the metabolism changes and appetite can be altered.
• Over time the immune system becomes less efficient making you prone to illness.

Coping with lack of sleep

Cat nap - take cat naps when ever you can during the day.  Ensure the baby is safe or get someone to come and look after baby while you take a rest.  Avoid napping in the evening as this may interrupt your sleep pattern.

Cure for lack of sleep

There is only one: get some sleep!

If you are nervous about handling you new baby and giving him or her your first bath, do not fear - you are not alone.  Most new parents are nervous of that dreaded first bath - but rest assured it gets easier!  Confidence will grow as you become more experienced.

For the first few weeks you can give baby a wipe over (a "top and tail") with wet cotton wool to keep them fresh.  Baby's don't sweat so don't need to be bathed every day.  However, it is nice to get into a routine of having a bath before bed  and if you take things slowly, and approach bath-time in a calm and relaxed way, both of you may come to enjoy it as a great chance to spend quality time together... and have some fun!

The most important thing is to have all you need at hand.  Make sure before you start everything is within easy reach: face cloth, towel, clean nappy, wipes, any cream and fresh clothes.  It's not safe to leave baby alone for a second, so get it all ready in advance.  Fill the bath with cold water first then add a tiny amount of hot. The water should be only be tepid rather than hot.  This avoids the chance of scalding.  You could warm the towel on a radiator if you have one nearby.

Bathing a very small baby can be easy if you follow a simple routine.

1. Undress baby and lower feet first into the water.  Support the head and neck and lower into a comfortable and supported "sitting" position.
2. When you are both comfortable, splash water onto baby's body with your spare hand.
3. Continue to chat as you do so.  Make lots of eye contact and show baby you're having fun too!
4. When you are finished, gently take baby out, wrap in a warm towel and pat dry.  Dress warmly and have a cuddle!

It does get easier as baby gets older and establishing good habits early is a a great thing to do.