Mental Health + Postpartum Sleep Deprivation: An Overlooked Connection
National Sleep Awareness Week 2025
For many new mothers, the early days of parenthood bring both joy and exhaustion. Sleep deprivation is a well-known challenge for parents of newborns, but its impact on maternal mental health is often underestimated.
As we recognize National Sleep Awareness Week 2025, it's crucial to shed light on the relationship between sleep and mental well-being for perinatal moms - and offer practical strategies to cope.
But, let me first pause before we dive into the research or touch on any sleep tips. If like mine, maybe your tired shoulders just crept up closer to your ears...your jaw clenched... and your back muscles tightened from hours spent sitting in uncomfortable positions to nurse/pump/bottle feed and/or sooth a fussy baby or overstimulated toddler...
Maybe your cold cup of coffee is standing as silent witness nearby, as tears run down your face from sheer exhaustion. Maybe you don't have any tears left today. Or, maybe you finally thought you were past the hump of newborn sleep issues and re-finding your rhythm only to find yourself surviving an unexpected sleep regression right now.
You. Are. Beyond. Tired.
Why even bother reading an article on the connection between mental wellness and postpartum sleep deprivation when you are living that reality right now?!? Believe me, I get it.
As a working mom of three kids, the youngest of whom was a 3 pound, 15 ounce NICU baby born during Covid, I deeply understand that published resources offering suggestions for improving postpartum sleep deprivation might make you want to laugh hysterically. Or perhaps hurl that coffee cup across the room. But, then you would just have one more mess to clean-up. And, we both know that no mom has time to recover from another mess that a kid or pet didn't create.
So instead, I invite you to close your eyes and take ten deep cleansing breathes before you read anything else. Fill your lower core...your mid core...your rib cage with your inhale. Then, slowly exhale, releasing...your rib cage...your mid core...your lower core. And, again. Breathe again. And, keep breathing, as you read. Keep breathing when your baby cries. When you cry. Keep breathing when your baby coos and babbles and laughs. When you laugh.
And, let's see if together one of these tips won't give you at least a small reprieve in the days to come, increasing your resilience and reminding you that there is light at the end of the tunnel. You will sleep again.
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Maternal Mental Health
Chronic sleep deprivation does more than just make a mom feel tired: it can significantly impact emotional well-being. From simply feeling "crazy" because you can't process as you normally know you are able to do to significant physical and mental health complications, postpartum sleep deprivation is nothing to simply wave off.
Research shows that insufficient sleep increases the risk of postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety disorders.
Sleep deprivation can:
Heighten stress and irritability
Impair cognitive function and decision-making
Reduce emotional resilience
Exacerbate feelings of isolation and overwhelm
Health and Parenting Writer Marygrace Taylor shared her story in her Healthline article on the impact of sleep loss on parents' mental well-being. Maybe you can relate to a few of her sentiments and conclusions:
"Despite the fact that Eli was (by newborn standards) a good sleeper right from the start, my husband and I never got more than a few hours of sleep at a time early on. It was physically exhausting, but the emotional fallout was worse. I was constantly anxious and had trouble bonding with my boy. I was distraught because I felt like my life had been taken away from me and that I’d never, ever get it back. I cried every day but could rarely explain why. At the time, no one suggested that the state of my mental health could have been caused by a lack of sleep. It didn’t cross my mind, either. After all, intense sleep deprivation is something that every single new parent deals with. There are plenty of bleary-eyed moms and dads who are still perfectly happy, right?"
Taylor concluded that due to the research on sleep deprivation that she found that new parents "are at risk of having a big problem on our hands. And it’s time we started talking about it."
So, let's do just that. Let's do more than talk about the research and instead also work together to creatively give the new moms in our lives (or yourself if you are yourself a new mama!) a chance to catch up on sleep and re-approach parenthood from a stronger mental and emotional place.
Five Tips to Cope with Postpartum Sleep Deprivation
New moms often feel pressure to be "on" 24/7, making it difficult to prioritize rest. However, addressing sleep challenges is not just about self-care - it’s a critical part of deepening your resilience, maintaining mental health and healing your body after having a baby.
While uninterrupted sleep may seem impossible for new parents (especially for moms who are often nursing throughout the night, bottle feeding, or who have a baby with more challenging medical needs), there are ways to mitigate the effects of postpartum sleep deprivation and improve overall well-being.
(Let me interrupt again...You might be groggily reading this right now in the depth of long days - and even longer nights - laughing at how ridiculous the idea of "sleep tips" are for what feels like an endless cycle of newborn needs, but even if one of these tips gives you even a few more hours of sleep, then you have given your future self a gift. Don't give up!)
1. Prioritize Sleep (Or REST) When Possible
Take naps when your baby sleeps, even if they're short power naps. I know this is the tip dished out often like casseroles at a Southern picnic, but that doesn't mean that there isn't still truth to the principle. If you can, then sleep when your baby sleeps. Or, listen to a deep breathing meditation. Or, take a slow shower. Watch a stand-up comedy routine. Anything that helps lower your stress level if/when sleep itself isn't attainable at the time.
Accept help from your partner, family, or friends so you can rest. (Read more HERE about how families can support a new mom.) I think one of my earliest motherhood's hurdles that proved the most challenging for me is this one right here: accepting help. I didn't want to ask my mother-in-law to run a load of laundry or bounce a colicky baby, so that I could rest no matter how much of a saint my MIL happened to be. I didn't want to appear less capable than I had prior to the birth of my first daughter. I had a superwoman cape pinned on firmly and accepting help was as foreign to me as my new post-birth body. But, the sooner you can accept that motherhood takes a village, the sooner you will also begin to build that motherhood village that you will need in the years to come for all the seasons of parenthood. And while my village has shifted many times over, it continues to show up for me to this day.
If possible, try a split-sleep schedule where you get a longer stretch of sleep at least once per night. There are a lot of ways that a split-sleep schedule could look, but in general this refers to assigning "shifts," so that you know that you will get a chunk of hours grouped together to sleep during the course of most nights. Depending on your family's and baby's individual needs, this schedule might not always be feasible, but a sleep consultant might be able to make some customized suggestions centered around your specific situation. A lactation consultant may also be able to suggest alternative nighttime feeding routines (for both nursing/pumping and formula-feeding moms) to help promote your sleep opportunities.
2. Establish a Nighttime Routine for YOURSELF
Keep a consistent bedtime routine to signal to your body that it’s time to rest. Parenting books talk quite a bit about creating bedtime routines for babies, but it's easy to overlook ourselves as moms. However, prioritizing a personal bedtime routine that signals to your brain and body that it is time to wind down more quickly can help maximize the shut-eye hours available to you.
Minimize screen time before bed to improve sleep quality. And, perhaps even if you struggle with screen time limits, then - if nothing else - try not to fall down the "Google" rabbit hole right before bed of researching topics that might increase anxiety levels. Practice being gentle with your brain and saving as much as the screen-time, scrolling, and researching for a different time of day.
Create a calming environment with dim lighting and relaxation techniques. While you might have a baby monitor's white noise in the background or other children's noises and stimulation, you can try making sure that overhead lighting is turned off and only a lamp or nightlight is on. There are playlists and apps available that you might consider experimenting with that promote sleep and help you wind down.
3. Consider Safe Sleeping Practices
- For some families, room-sharing (but not bed-sharing) can make nighttime feedings easier while still following safe sleep guidelines. Professional sleep consultants are a resource you might want to consider to help you navigate your best options suited to your own and baby's needs.
- Co-sleeping is a topic of many strong and differing opinions, so make sure that this is a strategy that you discuss with your pediatrician and/or healthcare team if you have questions about the safest sleep practices for your family.
4. Leverage Sleep Support Strategies
Consider using white noise machines to help babies sleep more soundly in addition to a sleep sack options that could make your baby feel cozy and secure. While these sleep support accessories are not always a fit for your baby, they might help soothe your baby and are worth trying out with your little one.
Experiment with gentle sleep training methods when developmentally appropriate with the input from your baby's healthcare team and consultants as needed who can help you identify your baby's developmental needs and create sleep routines. I have so many memories of getting this "wrong" with each one of my three kids and crying when another night passed of very little sleep. But eventually, you hit upon a solution that works for your child and yourself, and it all feels worth it! Believe me...worth it.
Communicate with your partner about alternating nighttime responsibilities if you have an involved and available partner. While this has already been touched upon, sometimes early parenthood is the season of life when you schedule out chunks of time to take shifts with your partner. Sometimes, this is the season to lean upon extended families, friends, or a postpartum doula.
5. Seek Professional Support
Talk to a healthcare provider if sleep deprivation is worsening your mood or well-being.
Consider therapy or support groups to navigate the emotional impact of postpartum sleep challenges.
Reach out to a lactation consultant if feeding patterns are contributing to disrupted sleep or to a sleep consultant if sleep questions are hindering your chance to rest.
You’re Not Alone - Support Is Available
At The Center for Postpartum Family Health, we understand how overwhelming postpartum sleep deprivation can be. If you’re struggling with exhaustion, mood changes, or anxiety, know that help is available. Seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness.
During this upcoming National Sleep Awareness Week, let’s prioritize maternal mental health by addressing sleep as an essential part of well-being. If you or a loved one needs guidance, reach out to our team to explore therapy options and resources for new moms.
You deserve rest. You deserve support. You are not alone.
Contact our team today to schedule an appointment.