Having a child can be a beautiful thing, but of course, there are some changes to your daily habits and health that can drastically change with the introduction of a newborn into your world. But did you know that it is highly common for mothers (and fathers, to a lesser extent) to feel sleep-deprived well into a child’s life?
What This 2019 Study Had to Say
If you’re the proud mother of a five or six-year-old, you may still be experiencing the effects of sleep deprivation. According to a study published in the Sleep Journal by the Sleep Research Society, both men and women experienced a below-average level of satisfaction with their sleep quality and length.
In both women and men, sleep satisfaction and duration did not fully recover for up to 6 years after the birth of their first child.
Sleep and Mental Health
Besides reducing cognitive ability, sleep deprivation takes the shape of changes in mental health in many mothers. Today’s Parent’s article on sleep and mental health lists mental health repercussions from a lack of sleep, specifically around anxiety and depression.
The mental health conditions can be exacerbated or brought on by the lack of sleep and subsequent mood swings that occur as a result of sleep deprivation. Low moods can occur after one night of lacklustre sleep, but add four more years onto that and it’s safe to say that many parents’ moods, from frustration to impatience to anger, can be attributed to chronic sleep issues.
Making the Most of Sleep
So sleep affects a mother’s mental health – what can be done about it?
Sleep can be confusing to manage, with so many tips and tricks to test out. While a bedtime routine and even your day leading up to sleep are important factors to focus on, starting with a luxury mattress that will support you both mentally and physically can help you make the most of every minute asleep.
After years working on sleep health and psychology, our top recommendations for improving your sleep as a parent include:
Creating and Sticking to a Schedule
This means that you have to plan your sleep ahead of time and draw boundaries around your sleep schedule as much as possible. This might feel fairly easy for you, but for many, this may include developing a shift schedule with you and your partner to protect the quality of your sleep as much as possible.
Create A Short Yet Effective Bedtime Routine
You may not feel like you have enough time to have your own bedtime routine, but it’s important to introduce consistency to alert your body that it is time to sleep – therefore making every minute in bed count. This can simply mean having the same tea every night half an hour before bed, lighting a candle with a specific scent or staying screen-free for an hour before bed.
Build Your Comfortable Sleep Toolkit
Many factors can affect your quality of sleep, including your sleep comfort. A luxury mattress that is created with careful attention to materials and requirements, will be able to physically and mentally support you and your quality of sleep.
SAMINA’s Bio-Ceramic® Bedding
SAMINA has created a sleep system that includes luxury mattress bedding made from 60% organic cotton and 40% Bio-Ceramic® yarn. Bio-Ceramic® yarn delivers healthy infrared radiation and negative ions, both of which encourage healthy sleep patterns for users. These benefits help your body’s microcirculation, energy restoration, more drowsiness to promote the initial transition to sleep and optimal ambient heat and moisture.
Further, the construction of the bedding carefully considers physical support and how stress on the body can be reduced for a more restful and relaxed sleep.
A Last Word on Improved Mental Health and Performance
Dr. Liborio Parrino, Chair of the World Sleep Day Committee, says:
“Extending our sleep period also improves our mental and body performances during the day and, last but not least, enhances our dreaming experience, as REM stages are mostly concentrated in the final portion of sleep, which is often curtailed by the urging rules of modern life.”
Better Sleep
Make sleep your priority. SAMINA sleep systems, including their luxury eco-friendly mattress, all of which are constructed to deliver comfortable sleep with the added health benefits of non-toxic mattress materials. Parents, we know you are tired. Let us help you restore your healthy sleep patterns and make the most of your time both awake and asleep. Contact us and request more information about SAMINA sleep systems here.