Baby’s sleep problems and parents’ depression

Newborns don’t sleep.  When they start making melatonin at about 3 months of age, then they’ll get on a schedule.  Their parents don’t sleep, either.  Do baby’s sleep problems lead to depression in parents?  Yes.  The sleep and depression connection was evident even after taking into consideration the expected fatigue of new parents.  Parents who worried that they couldn’t manage their children’s sleep were more likely to have even higher levels of depression.  This was true for both Mom and Dad.  When parents get expert advice on how to help baby sleep, they get a huge mood boost.  If they can find a way to get their child to sleep, their own state of mind and self-confidence are improved.  Health care providers need to pay attention to what the parents of newborns are saying and parents, you need to ask for help if you’re struggling.  Babies eventually grow up and go to sleep.  Hang in there.