Most parents find that the first six to eight weeks after the birth of their baby is the hardest. Parents will have moments of sleep deprivation.  While the baby will sleep anywhere from 15-17 hours during their first two through eight weeks, parents will not be able to have their normal amount of sleep.  Surveys of new parents have shown that many lose an average of three hours of sleep a night.  Parents can help themselves from feeling constantly sleep-deprived by sleeping and napping when the baby sleeps. Regardless, parents will have disrupted sleep, sometimes lasting as long as a year or more.  

For mothers, it is especially important to find time to catch up on their sleep.  Studies have shown that extreme fatigue can cause side effects such as postpartum depression, sleep disorders, anemia, and thyroid dysfunction.  

As a parent you need to know yourself and when your fatigue is something more serious.  Seek medical help when needed, but know lack of sleep and fatigue are part of the parenting experience.