The quantity and quality of hours of sleep are fundamental axes of
health
.
Although the arrival of a
child
completely changes the way and the time available to rest, it is important that new families manage to sleep as well as possible, beyond the circumstances and particularities of each baby.
For this, it is necessary to take into account several factors, outside of the repeated theory that states that "you have to take advantage of sleeping while the child does too".
When explaining the way we sleep,
Vanina Schoijett
, a childcare specialist in breastfeeding and parenting, explained to
Clarín
that genetic, epigenetic, physiological, habits and lifestyles, both personal and cultural, are involved.
Mental health, for its part, also plays a preponderant role.
“Having children triggers a kind of
permanent concern
about their well-being and survival and, without a doubt, that also translates to our rest, since while they sleep, we are aware of whether they breathe, if they are hot or cold, if they want a breast or so Just contact," he said.
Schoijett: "Stress and mental load affect our ability to relax and therefore rest."
Photo illustration Shutterstock.
To improve adult sleep, the author of
Teta y Sueño.
The loving challenge of raising babies and children
(Planet) prompted reflection on certain customs that should be eradicated.
According to her, some of the main aspects that can be analyzed to achieve a better rest have to do with:
Stress reduction:
the specialist advised to observe if our relationships are harmonious, if parenting is balanced and shared, if we have a support network and if there is a fair distribution of roles and tasks at home.
"Stress and mental load affect our ability to relax and therefore rest," she said.
Physical activity:
exercising every day, he said, collaborates with the necessary drain of energy and the increase in the production of endorphins that, among other things, improve the quality of sleep.
It is essential to analyze whether parenting is balanced and shared.
Photo illustration Shutterstock.
Daily exposure to natural light
: Schoijett explained that its importance lies in the fact that as daytime mammals, our brain needs to receive contrasting environmental information that allows it to differentiate between day and night.
"The famous melatonin, a vital hormone for regulating night sleep, is synthesized by our body from an amino acid, tryptophan, which in turn is activated by sunlight," he said.
Diet
: deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, selenium, vitamins B12, C and D, potassium, zinc and calcium can be associated with different sleep problems such as insomnia, chronic fatigue and some parasomnias.
Sleep hygiene
: this is linked both to the characteristics of the sleep environment (darkness, adequate temperature, ambient sound) and to the habits that surround the moment prior to rest (for example, avoiding exposure to screens two hours before bedtime or avoid intake of stimulating foods and/or beverages).
Sleep at the same time as the baby?
The baby's sleep time is not necessarily directly proportional to that mom's sleep time.
Photo illustration Shutterstock.
“
You have to take the opportunity to rest when the baby sleeps
”, new mothers often hear, among the many recommendations that more than once they don't even ask for.
Schoijett stressed that this "is advice that
tends to put enormous pressure on many women
who, when they don't succeed, add great
frustration
to the exhaustion they already feel."
The baby's sleep time is not necessarily directly proportional to that mom's sleep time.
There are people who, because of how their circadian rhythm (also called biological clock) works, simply cannot sleep during the day.
Others, whose children take
short naps
that do not give them time to fall asleep.
It may also happen that these mothers want to use the time when the boys sleep to do something else that relaxes and satisfies them.
For all of them, the specialist recommended not stressing out by not being able (or wanting) to comply with this premise: "Sometimes just lying on the bed or in the chair, listening to music and relaxing for a while is already as restful as it is enough."
There are people who, because of how their biological clock works, cannot sleep during the day.
Photo illustration Shutterstock.
The importance of rest
From
INECO
they emphasized that sleep is a very important part of our lives and that is why it is considered a fundamental component of a healthy routine.
The ideal, they assured, is to be able to sleep
between 6.5 and 8 hours a day.
Specialists from the Institute of Cognitive Neurology emphasized that, during sleep,
memory is consolidated, mood improves and learning is strengthened
.
On the other hand, lack of sleep can cause mood and cognitive changes such as irritability, anxiety, decay and lack of concentration.
“At night, logically, rest is important.
When women breastfeed, night sleep is especially relevant, since prolactin, the hormone responsible for the production of breast milk, is linked to the circadian rhythm and peaks in the early morning hours," said the childcare provider (on Instagram , @duermetehannibal).
Lack of sleep has consequences: it impacts mood, humor, memory and energy.
Photo illustration Shutterstock.
In addition, he mentioned,
prolactin
also has a relaxing effect that facilitates maternal sleep (in fact, it is common for women to feel some drowsiness at the beginning of lactation when they begin to breastfeed).
Lack of sleep, Schoijett concluded, always has consequences that, directly or indirectly, can lead to
exhaustion
, which translates into a lack of desire and patience.
look also
How to help babies sleep, according to a sleep neuroscientist
"My son does not sleep in his bed": recommendations for mothers and fathers
Vanina Schoijett, creator of Go to sleep Hannibal: "Not all women want to be mothers, nor do they all want to give the breast"
Weaning: tools to accompany and facilitate the end of lactation