Postpartum Sleep & Bonding with your baby
Sleep during the postpartum period is essential in maximising healing, breastfeeding, bonding with your baby and the mother’s overall wellbeing. Poor sleep quality negatively impacts a mothers ability cope with stressful events as well as impacting daily functions such as memory, alertness, concentration and swapping between tasks. Furthermore, sleep negatively impacts mothers emotional functioning such as motivation, irritability, relationship problems and self-esteem.
It is well known that when you have a new baby you will be awake during the night, but no one prepares you for how tired you will be during the day especially when dealing with visitors, learning how to care for your baby, healing from the birth and emotional changes. The first 3 months after birth is commonly described as the hardest period for attending to your baby’s needs. However, night wakings for children are common in the first year of life, with some children up to the age of 3 having problems with waking overnight.
What causes poor sleep quality in the postpartum period?
Sleep during the postpartum period is influenced by the amount of night wakings that your baby has, hormonal changes, changes to melatonin levels and pain postpartum. Many women find the biggest challenges are difficulty falling asleep, going to sleep late (after 10pm) and waking frequently overnight. Poor sleep quality overnight in conjunction with unrealistic expectations and lack of rest during the day leads to maternal exhaustion and fatigue.
Impacts of poor sleep on bonding
Positive mother-infant attachments formed in the postpartum period are essential for the baby’s social, emotional and cognitive development. Poor sleep quality during the postpartum period is associated with negative attitudes towards the baby, maternal depression and negative behaviours towards the baby.
In particular, mothers who had poor sleep quality were more likely to report feelings of anger towards their baby as well as dislike towards playing or interacting with their baby. This is thought to be due to the changes to maternal functioning and emotional regulation from poor sleep. Furthermore, emotional and physical functioning for the mother are necessary in empowering women to respond to their infants needs especially when faced with challenging situations. This can then become a brutal cycle as mothers may be kept awake at night with thoughts of guilt towards their inability to effectively respond to their baby and perceive themselves as bad mothers. Furthermore, increasing the risk of sleep deprived mothers in developing postnatal depression or anxiety.
How can we improve postpartum sleep?
Postpartum sleep can be improved through:
Minimising light during night feeds, exposure to light overnight may inhibit melatonin production and thus inhibit sleep.
Mothers who breastfeed exclusively have been shown to have longer sleep duration overnight than mothers who formula feed or bottle feed.
Ensuring that you are comfortable at night to help you fall asleep faster. Continuing to use your Sleepybelly will help you find a comfortable sleeping position to maximise your sleep in between feeds.
Try not to use your phone just before bed.
Try meditation or yoga before bed to help you relax and fall asleep faster.
Try to take naps during the day, while your partner looks after the baby.
Asking for help with tasks such as housework, washing or looking after older children can maximise your rest during the day.
Setting boundaries for friends and family around visiting. Your sleep is priority for your health and the health of your new baby.
It is essential that you try to maximise your sleep during the postpartum period to improve your emotional and physical wellbeing as well as improving your attachment with your baby. Postpartum is one of the hardest times in a families lives, we were not meant to do it alone and asking for help does not mean that you have failed. This is the most important time in your life to prioritise yourself and your sleep so that you are able to be the best version of yourself you can be and so that you can enjoy this precious time.
You’re doing an amazing job!!
