Mothers with
depression may behave in ways that disturb their infants’ sleep, according to a
new study.
Pennsylvania
State University researchers conducted home visits with 45 mothers and their
infants between the ages of
one month and two-year over seven consecutive days
to collect information about depression symptoms among the mothers and their
infants’ quality of sleep.
Greater
amounts of sleep disruption were noted in infants whose mothers had higher
level of symptoms of depression and more worries about their infants’ sleep,
the researchers found.
They then
investigated whether the mothers’ symptoms of depression caused them to behave
in ways that affected their infants’ sleep, or whether infants’ night awakenings
led their mothers to be more depressed, perhaps because of lack of sleep.
Greater
amounts of sleep disruption were noted infants whose mothers had higher levels
of symptoms of depression and more worries about their infants’ sleep, the
researchers found.
They then
investigated whether the mothers’ symptoms of depression caused them to behave
in ways that affected their infants’ sleep, or whether infants’ night
awakenings led their mothers to be more depressed, perhaps because of lack of
sleep.
The researchers
found that it’s the depression-linked behaviour of mothers that interferes with
infants’ sleep.
For example,
mothers with more symptoms of depression and worries are more likely to pick up
babies who were sleeping.
Mothers who
are feeling depressed may seek emotional comfort by going to their infants
during the night, the researcher explained.
Mothers who
worried about their infants’ well-being might respond to any infant sound in
the night and move their babies into their own beds in order to ease concerns
about whether their infants are hungry, thirsty and comfortable.
The findings
help “us better understand what factors influence infants’ sleep in homes in
which mothers are depressed,” lead author Douglas Teti, a professor of human
development, psychology and paediatrics, said in a journal news release.
Sleep
problems often endure beyond childhood and can have a negative effect on
various aspects of development, including emotional, behavioural and academic
functioning,” Teti noted.
The American
academy of paediatrics has more about babies and sleep.
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