Breastfeeding Increases Your Sleep!
New Study (probably not for profit, because who would? except of course, mamas and babies ;o) (thanks Therese!)
Breast-feeding Increases Sleep Duration of New Parents.
Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing. 21(3):200-206, July/September 2007.
Doan, Therese RN, IBCLC; Gardiner, Annelise; Gay, Caryl L.; Lee, Kathryn A. PhD, RN, FAAN
Abstract:
Objectives: This study describes sleep patterns for mothers and fathers after the birth of
their first child and compares exclusive breast-feeding families with parents who used
supplementation during the evening or night at 3 months postpartum.Methods: As part of a randomized clinical trial, the study utilized infant feeding and sleep
data at 3 months postpartum from 133 new mothers and fathers. Infant feeding type
(breast milk or formula) was determined from parent diaries. Sleep was measured
objectively using wrist actigraphy and subjectively using diaries. Lee’s General Sleep
Disturbance Scale was used to estimate perceived sleep disturbance.Results: Parents of infants who were breastfed in the evening and/or at night slept an
average of 40-45 minutes more than parents of infants given formula. Parents of infants
given formula at night also self-reported more sleep disturbance than parents of infants
who were exclusively breast-fed at night.Conclusions: Parents who supplement their infant feeding with formula under the
impression that they will get more sleep should be encouraged to continue breast-feeding
because sleep loss of more than 30 minutes each night can begin to affect daytime
functioning, particularly in those parents who return to work.
It does go without saying that this is for INFANTS, when your child is 3 years old and still sleeping beside you, you will be getting 4 hours LESS sleep than parents who weaned early. You will be like a rotisserie, first one side then another, all night long, in progressively shorter intervals until the crack of dawn when you will leap out of bed and say “okay! Let’s start our day!” and then make a LOT of something with heaps of caffeine. Which is no problem because your 3 year old won’t really be interested in nursing at all, all day. Saving up for night time, perhaps? But don’t let this frighten you into weaning early, please dear mama, like everything else, there is a season to every purpose. And this is your night-time parenting re-dux. And what keeps me calm at night is knowing deep in my heart that every moment I spend deep in connection with my child NOW is an extra hour of worry-less sleep in the future. When she’s a teen.
So Sweet dreams or Sweet Rotisserie! Either way, hug ‘em close and enjoy the night!
Love,
Heather
twitchy said,
October 2, 2007 @ 10:19 am
lmao about the rotisserie action!!
i have a two yo and a two month old and that is exactly what is happening as i am breastfeeding them both and the two yo is experiencingt what i call the “boobie rennaisance”
auds
janaki said,
October 2, 2007 @ 2:16 pm
lol, boobie rennaisance! Well then I guess I’d better enjoy the sleep while I can with my 9 month old! She still wakes up a couple of times at night, but I think that’s due to teething. Well in any case, I wouldn’t have her sleeping in a separate room AT ALL!
ethele said,
October 2, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
I agree - the “rotisserie” description is great! I have twins, and although we quit cosleeping early (six months), I really felt like I spent a lot of time rolling over until that point, especially when each girl woke up every hour but not at the same time during month 5. Before month 5 they were the model of “children who sleep through the night unusually early”.
I’m really not surprised by the results of this study at all, although I would like to see how the presence of cosleeping factored in for these parents as well. I’m wondering how much of the breastfeeding benefit is because nursing moms are more likely to cosleep as well. But my guess is it’s mainly the hormones from nursing that make Mom sleepy that really help. I fall asleep so much faster if I go to bed right after nursing the girls to sleep!
juliepie said,
October 3, 2007 @ 3:55 am
I don’t know…it’s easier to coax a toddler to stay in bed with you in the morning if there’s warm milk right there. He might even go back to sleep…sigh…how I wish my son was still nursing in the mornings. Now I have to get up with him at the ass-crack of dawn and make him his oatmeal instead.
amyphilo said,
October 3, 2007 @ 5:17 am
LMAO about the quality of the dawn for the oatmeal making…
senek said,
October 3, 2007 @ 5:37 am
Heather, I’m a long-time reader (I read your comics way before I had a kid of my own!). I want to say that it was SO encouraging to hear you talk about toddlers nursing lots at night. My DD is 18mo and doesn’t nurse much during the day, but does a fair bit at night. I decided not to discourage this at all, largely because I want to keep my milk supply up, plus, she doesn’t eat much, so I figure anything that’s getting in will help. It was SO ENCOURAGING to hear that I’m not the only one with this night-pattern! Thanks!
Julinda said,
October 3, 2007 @ 6:17 am
Finally a study with something positive about breastfeeding! Not that I didn’t already know this but maybe other people can learn from it.
Lest the comments about 3-year-olds scare anyone - that is certainly not universal. My older son stopped waking/nursing at night around the time he turned 2, even though he was still co-sleeping and still very committed to nursing, so my experience was very different. (Later on he developed sleep problems due to obstructed breathing, so from 5 or 6 on we’ve had some interesting nights!) Every nursing experience is different. My younger son is 20 months old and I’m optimistic (okay, hoping!) he will do the same, but even with night waking/nursing, if you’re co-sleeping, the mom’s waking is usually pretty brief. Really, by 3 the kid should be able to help him/herself and let Mommy slumber on.
Julinda
Julinda said,
October 3, 2007 @ 6:27 am
Also I have to add that the only time I “leap out of bed,” adequate sleep or not, is when I’ve heard a loud noise that sounds like somebody is injured or the house is blowing down!
Julinda
Melissa said,
October 3, 2007 @ 7:06 am
I’m a work-out-of-the-home mom so I get to breastfeed the pump during the day.
Lately my 14 month old has not been wanting her milk during the day (with staty-at-hom-dad) but is still nursing strong at night. And its good to hear I’m not alone! Heather you are so right - the moment I feel annoyed at being awoken AGAIN is followed immediately by an appreciation for the warm, snuggly, super sweet little girl cuddled up next to me. I like to put my lips to the top of her sweet little head for a prolonged kiss and just BREATHE DEEP that incredible sweetness. Because when she’s a confident head-strong teenager I’m sure I’ll need to look back on those moments!
bethcandco said,
October 3, 2007 @ 10:15 am
LMAO the rotisserie action happens here every night between my 7 month old and 2.5 year old….and on the rare occasion that they both latch on at the same time I am so uncomfortable I can’t sleep LOL, Oh and then when the baby is soundly asleep again I bribe the 2 year old with the promise of pancakes if she gets up quietly and goes downstairs with me
wiffersnapper said,
October 3, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
My cousin insists that formula at night is the key to sleeping, and I’ve never agreed with her. Granted, my daughter didn’t sleep through the night until what seemed like forever, but it wasn’t because of nursing… it’s just who she is. I’m proud of the fact that she was exclusively breastfed with no formula, and I’m going to do it again with #2!