'It’s a literal form of torture': First-time parents unaware of impact of sleep-loss on their wellbeing

'The lack of sleep becomes a total shock to all new parents. And they’ve heard about it before, but never realised actually the impact of the sleep deprivation.'

Many first-time parents are largely underprepared for the impact "torturous" post-partum sleep loss and deprivation can have on their wellbeing, new Irish research finds.

Postpartum sleep loss should be recognised as a significant clinical issue rather than an expected or unavoidable aspect of early parenting, according to a wide range of healthcare professionals who took part in the study.

First-time parents should also receive more education about how disruption to sleep post-partum, particularly during the newborn stage, impacts on every part of the recovery after childbirth.

The finding is from focus groups conducted with Irish midwives, psychologists, doulas, nurses, lactation consultants, and other healthcare professionals who support families postpartum, and the 'Restful Nights, Happy Days' project and researchers at Dublin City University (DCU).

Sleep disruption for first-time parents can "have a broad and substantial impact on their physical, psychological and social wellbeing", the study notes. 

The healthcare professionals who took part highlighted the importance of sleep for physical recovery, cognitive function, positive mental health, and social relationship. 

However, first-time parents are generally unaware of the importance of sleep and the impact sleep deprivation can have on their overall wellbeing, they agreed.

“The lack of sleep becomes a total shock to all new parents. And they’ve heard about it before, but never realised actually the impact of the sleep deprivation," one said. 

This was not discussed enough with parents, the focus groups said, and parents would "greatly benefit from education on the importance of sleep and impact of sleep deprivation". 

Another participant to the study said we could do more to help new mothers, including around the education on what sleep deprivation does. "I say this all the time to women, it’s a literal form of torture", they told the study. 

Factors such as the unpredictability of newborn sleep patterns, and mismatched or unrealistic expectations and "naivety" surrounding infants’ sleep were also discussed. 

First-time parents would benefit from education about typical sleep patterns among mothers and infants during the postpartum period, alongside "practical strategies to establish and manage realistic expectations regarding infant and parental sleep", it noted. 

Dr Aileen Leech of the project told the Irish Examiner: "There's not enough emphasis placed on the importance of sleep in maintaining daily functioning and mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. 

"There's an awful lot of discussion around supporting parents in the post-natal period around depression and anxiety. There is more discussion around it now, but not enough. I think sleep is one of those critical factors." 

The Restful Nights, Happy Days project is currently recruiting expectant first-time parents to take part in a pilot study and online workshops supporting parental sleep and wellbeing in the postpartum period. For more information, or to take part visit Instagram or email [e-mail]

• This work was supported by the HRCI/HRB Joint Funding Scheme