It can become easy for parents to relegate their own sleep requirements to a low priority, with all the things that needs to get done each day. But for a number of reasons, it is important for parents to get enough sleep –
It is important for expectant mothers to get sufficient quality rest, since inadequate sleep for pregnant women could lead to birth problems, according to research.
The risk of preeclampsia (gestational hypertension) rises 10 times for those pregnant women who get less than 5 hours of sleep per night. This raises chances of organ damage and even fetal death and in some cases maternal death.
And once the baby arrives, parents may likely find it even more difficult to get restful and undisturbed night time sleep.
According to Dr. Michael Thorpy and Dr. Shelby Freedman Harris of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center, insomnia in parents can lead to a number of problems including high blood pressure, and poor concentration.
Since the sleep patterns of newborns are of shorter duration, parents find it difficult to get the requisite 7 or 8 hours of sleep a day. Getting the help of others, or encouraging the child to self soothe are important ways for new parents to get enough rest.
