Are you a sleep-deprived new Mom? This blog will help you understand why this occurs, the significant impact it has on your health and well-being and what you can do to get more sleep!
In early 2019, Dr. Judith E Carrol released a study titled “Maternal Sleep in Pregnancy and Postpartum”. It found that the average adult needs around 8 hours a day and that 1/3 of our lives is spent sleeping. But it also found some startling negative impacts on sleep-deprived new moms.
What Causes Sleep Deprivation for New Moms?
First, its important to understand why babies don't sleep well especially in their first 4-6 months of life, which typically means Mom doesn't sleep well either. Newborn babies don't really have a sleep schedule -- rather, newborns take multiple naps throughout the day, usually lasting from 2-4 hours. Like most adults, Moms need 7-9 hours per day of sleep, ideally at the same time. You can see where this math is going - unless your significant other is taking care of every late-night newborn wakeup, mothers are almost guaranteed to lose some sleep. In fact, a study in the UK found that the average new Mom lost the equivalent of 44 days of sleep in their baby's first year of life. And another study by Sleep Junkie found that only 10% of newborn parents were getting their recommended 7+ hours every night.
What Are the Consequences of Mothers Losing Sleep?
Unfortunately there are many consequences of losing so much sleep including:
- Emotional & Mental Well-Being- A lack of sleep can send anyone into a spiral, and unfortunately mothers are not exempt. Losing sleep can lead to quick tempers, short attention spans, and lasting brain fog for many. Most of these mental impacts can be quickly remedied by resting where you can find time to, though this is often difficult with newborns.
- Interpersonal Relationships - When there is a significant mental impact on an individual, interpersonal impacts often follow. Being tired can impact how willing you are to go to social gatherings, how clearly you can think, and much more - all things that can shift your interpersonal relationships.
- Physical Health - Dr. Carrol’s study had some significant DNA findings related to mothers’ physical wellbeing. By taking DNA samples and checking for signs of age and age-related illness, she found that a lack of sleep - especially within the first six months after birth - can speed up aging. She estimates that consistently getting below 7 hours of sleep can age mothers’ bodies 3-7 years in those short 6 months that it takes your baby to start learning a normal sleep schedule.
Getting More Sleep -- It Is Possible!
All is not lost! There are many ways that new parents can find ways to rest - many call in family and friends to babysit for example. However, the most effective solution is to find a way to help your baby sleep (and stay asleep) while you get as many hours of sleep as possible. We recently launched a new line of Baby Brezza Sleep + Soothing Products that help soothe your baby to sleep better by activating their natural calming reflexes.
NEW! Smart Soothing Mat - During pregnancy, babies become used to the sounds and motions that surround them in the womb like mom's heartbeat, digestive sounds and the whooshing motion of amniotic fluid. Exposure to these sounds & motions help helps naturally calm baby because it was a learned reflex in utero. For example, if you’ve ever soothed your baby back to sleep by holding them close to your chest so they can hear your heartbeat, you can attest to this superpower. However, getting up in the middle of the night to hold your baby until they fall asleep can be time-consuming, esp. when you're exhausted. That is why we designed the Smart Soothing Mat - the only mat that mimics the gentle sounds & motions of the womb which soothes your baby to sleep. You can use it safely in the crib, bassinet or any flat surface where your baby sleeps. And you can operate it from your smartphone with the Free App and Bluetooth. That means if your baby wakes up in the middle of the night, just press a button on your phone to turn the mat on and help soothe your baby back to sleep without leaving your bed.
NEW! Baby Soothe Massager - Massage is one of nature's oldest remedies, having been used for thousands of years to soothe babies, children and adults of all ages. You've probably realized your baby loves a gentle fingertip massage on their belly, which signals the brand to secrete calming hormones and takes the edge off gas and fussiness, right? Well new Moms (and Dad's) don't always have time to massage their babies. That's where Baby Soothe helps. It's like having an extra set of hands around when you need to massage your baby to relieve their fussiness or gas. This first-ever baby massager has three gentle massagers that mimic your fingertip massage, calming your baby down instantly. It not only works on baby, but it helps calm new parents down too!
Sleep deprivation will always be a part of parenting, but with Baby Brezza’s Sleep + Soothing products you can lighten the load and help ease your baby back to sleep-- so that you can get your much needed Z’s--faster. Explore our full Sleep + Soothing product line for more ways to calm and relax your baby.