Depression Link for Moms Whose Babies Wake During Night

According to research that found one in four mothers reported their baby’s sleep to be causing problems for them, mothers of infants who wake during the night are more likely to suffer from depression, stress, and poor physical health.

The investigation was carried out by researchers at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Mothers reported on the sleep patterns of more than 11,000 infants, also providing details of their own personal health and well-being.

Four distinct sleep patterns were identified in the infants, all nine months old. The most common sleep profile, representing almost half of the children, were babies who would occasionally wake during the night. The mothers of these children reported their baby’s sleep was not a problem for them.

However, a quarter of the infants had sleeping habits that were causing problems for mothers — a third of these said they received an average of seven hours sleep a night. The study, which was published in the international journal Maternal and Child Health, was undertaken by Aoife Hughes and Ailish Hannigan from UL’s Graduate Entry Medical School, and Stephen Gallagher from the Department of Psychology.

Dr Gallagher said the sleep profile of an infant can have a variety of health effects — and some are “more problematic” than others. “Inadequate sleep quantity and quality in infants can have adverse effects on family function, parental stress, as well as marital relationships,” he said.

Proffesor Hannigan said the study is the first to explore infant sleep patterns on such a large scale and provides valuable information for parents on common sleep behaviours. The babies involved in the study will take part in further research at three years of age so as to assess any long-term effects associated with poor sleep for both mother and child.

The study follows almost 20,000 children across Ireland in an effort to improve understanding of child development.

— Vimala McClure