New Parents and Sleep Deprivation
Lack of Sleep; The Effects, Signs,and Symptoms of Exhaustion
New parents experience relentless sleep deprivation, the effects of which are profound. Discussion involves physical, mental and emotional effects of exhaustion.
Visualize the new parent; a disheveled, bleary-eyed and vague individual, bumping into furniture in the middle of the night while trying desperately to remember where the extra nappies are. As with many stereotypes this one is rooted in truth, however, many of these characteristics are those of chronic sleep deprivation.
The relentless form of sleep deprivation afforded the new parent is a harsh awakening and the challenge of coping with a life turned sideways by the arrival of a baby is only amplified by the physical, mental and emotional effects of sheer exhaustion.
How Much Sleep is Enough?
In September 2004 UK magazine Mother and Baby published '"The Sleep Survey " of 2000 women and found that in the first four months of their baby's life , most mothers averaged less than 5 hours of sleep per night. With adults ideally requiring 7-8 hours of sleep, it does not take long for a significant sleep deficit to develop.
Restful sleep is not about absolute hours but is in the completion of 90-minute sleep cycles. Four hours of broken sleep results in incomplete cycles and omits the most restorative phases of sleep.
Sleep Cycles
The Sleep Disorder Channel describes the five phases of sleep, all of which are required for rest and rejuvenation. Phases 1 – 4 are the non- Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phases and involve progressive descent into deeper unconsciousness with less awareness of surroundings. At the end of phase 4, mind and body are relaxed enough to enter the REM phase. REM sleep is the deepest and most restorative phase and is responsible for making sense of the day’s thoughts and events through dreaming and so aids in clearing the mind.
A newborn wakes every 2-4 hours preventing parents from completing many sleep cycles and so denying them all-important REM sleep. A lack of REM sleep affects higher brain functions, leaving people with impaired memory, concentration, and problem-solving abilities.
Effects of Sleep Deprivation.
According to Sleep Deprivation.com the sleep deprived brain works less efficiently. This can manifest as difficulty in moderating emotions and handling stress, as well as decreasing hand/ eye coordination making people clumsier and more accident-prone. Other effects are irritability, poor reaction times, weight gain through changes to appetite and metabolism, and the feeling of operating through a dense fog.
Over time, the immune system becomes less efficient making the body prone to illness. All of these effects can place strain on relationships and may lead to decreased job performance when also working outside the home.
So are there any long term consequences of sleep deprivation? Well the bad news is that rats that were deprived of sleep for 3 weeks died; the good news is that we are smarter than rats and this is unlikely to happen to us. But extreme cases of sleep deprivation can contribute in the development of post-partum depression, and any symptoms of depression not improved with a good night’s sleep should be discussed with a doctor or maternal nurse.
It seems wryly ironic that the side-effects of being a new parent render you unfit to be a new parent, by turning you into a clumsy, emotional zombie who can’t remember where you left your sanity, let alone the nappies.
The only cure for sleep deprivation is sleep and so it is essential to beg, borrow or steal precious hours of sleep any way you can. The impact of exhaustion is under-appreciated and many parents assume they are inadequate rather than simply tired. So instead of reaching for the parenting book, reach for the pillow; you’ll be amazed how a little sleep can re-energize a flagging body and spirit.
