You Just Need To Sleep!

New mothers are tired. There aren't many guarantees in this business but that's one of them. New mothers do not get enough sleep. It's irrefutable and universal. To further obscure the picture, sleep problems crossover between cause and effect variables with respect to postpartum depression. In other words, sleep disturbances can contribute to the development of postpartum depression and they can be a symptom of postpartum depression. Either way, it requires our immediate attention.

Hormonal fluctuations can interfere with sleep during early pregnancy, the growing fetus can make it difficult to sleep comfortably later on during in pregnancy, and newborn care typically involves numerous nighttime awakening periods after the baby is born. All of these changes in sleep patterns and the associated fatigue can affect a woman's physical and mental well-being, her relationships, her employment, and her ability to adjust to the new role of parent.

"I just need to get some sleep," a woman reports. "Everything will be fine if I just get some sleep."

This may very well be true. Or, it may be the last thing she says before she takes a handful of sleeping pills.

As most new mothers can attest, going too long with too little sleep can quickly turn things from bad to worse. Once a cycle of insomnia sets in and women report that they are unable to sleep even when the baby is sleeping, we have relevant diagnostic information. If a woman reports being exhausted yet able to sleep when her baby is sleeping, this is good. She may not be getting as much sleep as she'd like and surely she is weary beyond words but this is a different clinical presentation from the mother who reports that her baby sleeps better than she does.

Consider these two responses to the question: Are you able to sleep when your baby sleeps?

"Are you kidding? That's all I do when he sleeps. Crib side goes up and I'm half asleep by the time my head hits the pillow!"