Supporting good sleep for mom and baby
One of the most challenging experiences as a new parent is getting sufficient sleep and adjusting to an infant's sleep schedule. I often hear parents talk about how sleep-deprived they feel the first several months postpartum.
The good news is that proper nutrition and good sleep hygiene go a long way to promoting quality sleep. It is important to remember that sleep WILL look different than it did before baby arrived, and while we may not get our full straight 8 that we are used to, it is still possible and important to get good segmented sleep.
We’ll look at:
Why is sleep important and how is that sleep shifting for the new parent
what should proper sleep look like for the infant
what are the nutritional and hygienic applications for sleep specifically for the mom, especially if she's breastfeeding,
In order to support proper sleep for you and your baby, it’s important to begin with a basic understanding of our circadian rhythms. These operations dictate physiological and metabolic processes within the body. One of these is the sleep/wake cycle. Governed by the hypothalamus, this cycle essentially converts external stimuli (a.k.a. light/dark) into biological impulses via neuronal and hormonal signals. When light enters the retina, it transmits through the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus where serotonin is converted to melatonin. Melatonin is not only essential to sleep, but it is also one of our major endogenous antioxidants.
Sleep also takes place in stages. The first of these is called sleep onset latency. This is the time it takes one to fall asleep usually lasting from 10-20 minutes. Next, we experience predictable and repeating sequences of light and deep non-rapid eye movement (N-REM), and rapid eye movement (REM). With roughly four to six cycles lasting approximately 90 minutes each, deep sleep shortens each cycle while light sleep and REM grow longer. It is believed that the majority of deep sleep takes place during the first half of the night and that this is our most restorative sleep. REM is characterized by increased brain activity and is where most of our vivid dreaming occurs. Babies display similar patterns just in shorter cycles.
Since most of our deep sleep takes place earlier in the night, it is ideal to get to sleep before 10 pm. Remember, the light/dark cycle of the 24-hour day is our natural guide. The innovation of synthetic light has prompted us to stay up later.
During sleep, growth hormone is notably active. While this hormone contributes to growth, especially in babies and children, in the adult body, it cleans up and repairs tissues during sleep.
Sleep is essential for cleaning up and detoxifying the brain and body. Sleep also functions to provide integration of the daily images, conversations, and experiences to which we are exposed.
So what can you expect your baby's sleep to look like?
Babies sleep in much shorter cycles, waking every couple of hours to feed. From birth to 3 months babies commonly get 14 to 17 hours of combined sleep per day. They may require less at 4-12 months, averaging around 12 to 16 hours per day. Their patterns are erratic, and there's no established norm. During the process of getting to know your baby, it’s important to remember that every child has unique sleep needs. Staying flexible with your baby’s sleep schedule is highly recommended.
Some parents wonder if their baby can sleep too much. As a general rule, if your baby is sleeping longer than 17 to 19 hours a day, it is necessary to observe any additional symptoms. Is your baby sleeping through feedings and not eating enough? Is your baby wetting enough diapers? Is your baby possibly dehydrated? Does your baby potentially have trouble waking up? These are just some of the observations you would want to communicate to your pediatrician to assess whether something else is causing your baby to sleep so much.
Quality sleep for mom is important to her health in a number of ways, but especially important to her mental health. Lack of sleep exacerbates perinatal mood disorders and worsens existing mood disorders. The best way to prepare for postpartum sleep is to:
1.Build a strong support system:
Creating clear roles and sleep shifts between you and your partner is a first step toward alleviating some of the stress surrounding disrupted sleep. Communicate before baby arrives on each of your responsibilities and expectations. Grandparents or other family and friends can also be a great resource. Don’t be afraid to ask for their help. Most of the time they want to help but simply do not know what you need. And if it's in the budget, seek the help of a doula or nanny. These people are experts and trained to step in during this unique time. Whatever your budget, cultivate your tribe/community. Make a list of the people that you could see helping with daily tasks such as cleaning, cooking, or watching the baby while you rest and recover.
2. Avoid caffeine and alcohol:
Both negatively impact your ability to get to sleep quickly and remain asleep. Caffeine has a 5-hour half-life; even after this point, the remaining caffeine can take much longer to eliminate. Try replacing caffeinated beverages with herbal teas, coconut water, fruit, and herb-infused water. At the very least, reduce your caffeine intake and avoid any after 12 pm. Alcohol is a known circadian rhythm disruptor. Just one drink has the ability to elevate cortisol for a few hours. Both coffee and alcohol tax the liver which is already working overtime to break down excess hormones produced during this period.
3.Avoid eating and drinking liquids late at night:
It's best to quit munching 2 hours before going to bed. Yet, if you choose to breastfeed, your body will burn a lot of extra calories, and it is not unusual to wake up hungry. If this happens to you, keep some high-protein snacks accessible so you can quickly get back to sleep. Hydrating too of course is another problem. While hydration is essential, it is best to focus on this throughout the day, aiming to get what your body requires a couple of hours prior to bed so that you aren’t waking to urinate. If you live in a dry climate like I do here in Golden, CO, however, keep a glass at your bedside just in case. Just take small sips only when needed.
Key nutrients that are going to support sleep include:
Iron
Protein
Vitamin D
Probiotics
Magnesium-rich foods or supplementation (two hours before bedtime preferably) with the support of your health care provider
B vitamin-rich foods or taken as part of your daily vitamin-preferably during the day when your energy demand is higher
Best sleep practices (Sleep hygiene) and tools to create better sleep latency are:
Exercise-light to moderate is often enough
Sleep meditation-there are many great meditation apps like Insight Timer and Calm to assist this
Lavender oil-generally recognized as safe I like to rub a drop in my hands and then smooth over my pillow-check with your pediatrician before applying to your infant’s room
Get to bed before 10 pm
Blue light elimination: eliminating screen time at least 1hr before bed and lowering the lights around the house helps limit blue light exposure that interferes with our circadian rhythm-In addition there is a feature in your settings on all devices called Night Shift that changes the display color to a warmer tone more appropriate for after dark hours
Avoid eating right before bed
Practice self-care- a bath or foot soak with Epsom salts, sipping herbal tea, reading, or pampering your skin at the end of the day goes a long way to stress reduction and improved sleep
The information provided here offers some basic tips on how to best prepare yourself and your baby for quality sleep during the first few months postpartum. If you have questions, or would like to dive deeper into how to apply these tools, you can connect with Carla at rebelrootsnutrition@gmail.com,
https://www.rebelrootsnutrition.com/
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