Poor sleep and postnatal depression

New mums have lots of sleepless nights but new research suggests that a lack of sleep could place them at greater risk of suffering from postnatal depression. Researchers from Stavanger University Hospital in Norway studied 2,830 women who had babies between October 2005 and September 2006. The women reported that they slept for an average of 6.5 hours per night. Even after adjusting for other risk factors for depression such as being a first time mum, bottle feeding, having a young infant or a male infant and stressful life events poor sleep was still associated with depression.

You can find out more about this research at

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE56D7HO20090714?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews