Sleep Cycles for Mom and New Baby

Your safety, health, and emotional stability depend on your ability to get enough sleep each night. The obvious problem with sleep loss is that a tired woman is not a fully-functional woman. Performing daily tasks in a state of exhaustion is not only difficult, it also can be deadly. How safe are you, your child, and the other children in the car if you are a sleep-deprived car pool driver? The Women and Sleep Poll found that 50 percent of women have driven while drowsy, and 14 percent have dozed off at the wheel.

Studies published in the medical publications Lancet and the Journal of the American Medical Association indicate that sleep deprivation can cause an increase in hunger and a decrease in metabolism. That dangerous one-two punch is not just an annoyance that keeps you from fitting into your pre-pregnancy jeans. It can hinder weight loss or cause weight gain and can lead to high glucose levels, which are precursors to diabetes.

Two thirds of women surveyed by the National Sleep Foundation reported that lack of sleep causes problems in their relationship with their spouse or children. As if you need statistics to back this up: depression and anxiety are associated with sleep deprivation. If you are tired, you are likely to be on edge, less tolerant, and maybe not too nice to those whom you love most.