Sleep deprivation takes a toll on new moms

The early weeks with a new baby are exhausting. Babies sleep as many 12 to 18 hours a day, usually in one-, two- or three-hour increments. When they wake they want to eat. That means a mother may only get two hours of sleep at a time. Sleep deprivation is one of the hardest adjustments with a new baby.

Sleep is probably one of the most talked about topics amongst mothers. People associate a “good” baby versus a “not so good” baby, by how much they sleep, or by how much their mother gets to sleep.

Sleep is a time for our bodies to regenerate and refresh. Quantity and quality are important. Neither happen in the early weeks and sometimes months of life with a new baby.

When we sleep our body produces extra protein molecules to fight infections. New mothers are at risk for catching colds. In the early weeks after delivery mothers need to be home and not out working, shopping or being in large crowds.

Lack of sleep affects our memory. While we sleep our brain is able to sort and organize ideas that we have had during our wake period. When we don’t get enough sleep we feel groggy and it is difficult to focus.

Many women complain that they are having trouble losing weight after they have a baby. I believe there may be a connection to the lack of sleep. For one, you are too tired to exercise. The most important exercising a new mother needs to be doing is resting or sleeping. We also know that sleep helps keep in balance hormones that affect our appetite. Not enough sleep causes an increased production of ghrelin, which makes us hungry, and a decrease in the hormone leptin, which tells our brain we are full. So between not being able to physically challenge our bodies, and producing hormones that tell us we are hungry, it can be difficult to lose any extra body weight.

One in four women suffer from some degree of post partum depression. Another hormone affected by sleep is serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects our mood. High levels, we are happy. Low levels, we are sad. Not enough sleep decreases our production of serotonin.

So why do we have babies? Sounds like it stresses our bodies out to the point where we can be depressed, confused, angry, fat, and sick. The six weeks after a baby is born is called post partum (after birth). When this time is respected as a time for a mother to heal and a baby to adjust to life outside the womb, everyone benefits.

There is an old saying: The days are long, but the years are short. The early days with a new baby are challenging because of the sleep deprivation. These days are long. Then in a blink of an eye your baby will grown and you will wonder how did those years go by so quickly?

This story was originally published September 1, 2017 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Sleep deprivation takes a toll on new moms."