Mothers with Depression May Disrupt Babies’ Sleep

Study indicates sad, anxious moms may pick up their baby at night to try to feel comforted

The findings of a new study suggest that the behavior of depressed mothers may hamper the sleep of their infants.

The study, which was conducted by researchers from Pennsylvania State University, included 45 mothers and their babies between 1 month and 2 years of age. For the study, the researchers visited the mothers and their babies over 7 consecutive days to gather information regarding depression symptoms among the mothers and the quality of sleep of their babies.

The researchers found that sleep disturbance was noticeably greater in infants whose moms were manifesting higher levels of depression symptoms and were more anxious regarding their babies’ sleep.

The researchers then examined whether the depression symptoms displayed by moms led them to adopt certain behaviors that had an impact on their babies’ sleep, or whether infants’ waking up during the night caused more depression in their mothers, probably due to insufficient sleep.

The mothers’ depression-related behavior is the culprit that hampers the sleep of infants, the researchers found. For instance, moms who showed more signs of being depressed and anxious had the higher odds of picking up their babies who were asleep.

The researchers rationalized that mothers suffering from depression may look for emotional comfort by going to their babies during the night. Mothers who tend to be too anxious about the welfare of their babies might respond to any infant sound in the night and transfer their babies into their own beds, a behavior meant to alleviate worries about whether their babies are hungry, thirsty, and not suffering from any discomfort.

The new study appeared in the April 17 issue of the journal Child Development.

In a news release issued by the journal, lead study author Douglas Teti, a professor of human development, psychology and pediatrics, said that the results help in improving the understanding of the factors that affect babies’ sleep in households wherein mothers are suffering from depression.

According to Teti, sleep problems usually persist beyond the stage of early childhood “and can have a negative effect on various aspects of development, including emotional, behavioral and academic functioning.