I am a new parent. What do you know about how my little one’s sleep will affect my sleep and mood? It’s inevitable that you will need to get up and down to attend to your new baby overnight. Most babies will feed throughout the night, some to 6 months of age. So you will feel tired and for [...]
How can my (mom’s) stress and mood affect my baby’s sleep? Can my sleep problems (or my infant sleep problems) sometimes affect our bonding? Emotional distress (such as anxiety, stress, and depression) in moms is significantly associated with disrupted sleep in infants. Studies have shown that [...]
I’m about to have a baby and have had depression in the past. Am I at risk for postpartum depression? A history of depression is a known risk factor for postpartum disorder. However, it is important to remember that the meaning of a risk factor is that it statistically increases the probability [...]
I have young foster children in the home who have been maltreated in the past. How might that affect their sleep? The scientific literature suggests that children who have been maltreated are at risk of long term sleep difficulties, such as difficulty sleeping and experiencing nightmares. Of [...]
I have postpartum depression. What can you tell me about how this might affect my little one’s sleep? Links between postpartum depression and infant sleep problems have been reported. It is important that you realize that this does not necessarily mean that your depression is leading to [...]