Sleep, baby, sleep

Sleep of both new parents and infants is a much debated and researched topic. The completely differing sleep patterns of newborns and young babies cause sleep problems, sleep deprivation and daytime fatigue in their parents. Often the blame for ‘’sleep problems in infants’’ (which, in fact, of course, are parents’ sleeping problems) is put on breastfeeding and there is a widely-held believe that formula fed babies sleep better, but multiple studies have denied these theories. All kinds of programs and methods have been developed to coerce infants lightly or more strongly into not making themselves heard at night times.  A mostly overlooked point in al discussions, studies and programs is that is a fact that young babies do have other patterns and needs for a reason; for instance that wakening regularly at night will protect from SIDS, and will ensure continuing feeding, in order to prevent low glucose levels and uninterrupted brain development. Other studies (check Newsflash archives for ‘’co sleeping’’, ‘’bed-sharing’’, and ‘’night time breastfeeding’’) show that the closer a mother sleeps to her sleeping child, the more her sleep cycles mimic those of the child, which makes her loosing less sleep and waking up more refreshed. Co-sleeping (in the same bed, with a co-sleeper or ‘’side-car’’) benefits breastfeeding. Prenatal (and perhaps even pre-conception) education should include information on normal infant sleeping patterns (which are not linked to the chosen infant feeding method!), that differ from those of parents and how parents can work with that knowledge in order to have everybody get the rest they need.
Montgomery-Downs, Hawley E., Clawges, Heather M., Santy, Eleanor E: Infant Feeding Methods and Maternal Sleep and Daytime Functioning. Pediatrics 2010 126: e1562-e1568
Hunter LP, Rychnovsky JD, Yount SM: A Selective Review of Maternal Sleep Characteristics in the Postpartum Period. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing. 2009, 38(1):60-68.