Sleep quality improves
Three months after giving birth, your body has generally recovered. The lochia stopped, lactation improved, pain has retreated, even the strength for exercising has returned. But most parents will not be able to get enough sleep yet.
According to surveys conducted in the UK, 60% of new parents sleep no more than 3.5 hours at night during the first two years after the birth [1]. This is not enough.
Try to get at least some sleep during the day. This is important not only for your well-being, but also for your baby’s safety. Parental sleep deprivation is one of the causes of early childhood trauma [2]: accumulated fatigue leads to decreased concentration, coordination of movements, and reaction speed.
Moreover, sleep deprivation and postpartum depression (in both parents) are related illnesses. And it is not always easy to establish which one is primary. If a woman has time, but cannot fall asleep, this should already be considered as one of the signs of depression [3].
But there is good news: by the age of three months, many mamas see an improvement. If not the quantity, then the quality of sleep. Moreover, studies show that positive changes are more noticeable in women who breastfeed [3]. It is not yet clear whether this can be explained by hormonal or psychological reasons.
Many mamas also find it easier to fall asleep by the 12th week [3]. If earlier the advice “Sleep when the baby sleeps” was impossible for you, perhaps now it will start to work. Take advantage of the moment!
