We all know that some form of sleep deprivation is part of being a new parent. But is that sleep deprivation making you super sensitive?
You’ll never sleep again (cue evil laugh)
Everyone teases new parents about the myth that they’ll never sleep again (yes, that is a myth)! But this teasing has led us to become a society of parents who accept that feeling tired day after day is normal. You only need to jump onto social media to know that being tired, and up numerous times a night, is considered one of the burdens of parenthood. That’s just how it is.
It’s almost expected to still be up all night with a 1- or 2-year-old (another urban myth).
But did you know that lack of sleep can impact your cognitive functions, including your emotional processing and perception? Today, I want to share some of the scientific findings that underline the importance of adequate sleep.
More sleep can actually transform your parenting experience for the better.
Are your emotions currently suffering?
Research has established a link between sleep deprivation and emotional processing. In particular, the way we perceive and respond to negative emotional stimuli. Like, maybe your child’s cry.
OK, no studies have specifically focused on the effects of sleep deprivation on a mother’s (or father’s) reaction to their child’s cries. But extrapolating data from current research offers some really interesting insights.
A past study conducted by Yoo et al. revealed that sleep deprivation results in the amygdala (the area of the brain involved in processing emotions) having more of a reaction to negative emotional stimuli. It’s much more reactive when sleep deprived, compared to not sleep deprived.
So what?
So, what does this mean for you as a new parent? It means your emotional responses could be heightened, simply because you’re sleep deprived. Thus, you could perceive your baby’s cries to be more distressing than they might otherwise be under more rested conditions.
It can also mean that you perceive the way your partner chews (or breathes) in a negatively heightened way. It’s no surprise that relationships tend to fall apart when a baby is not sleeping.
You’re more sensitive because sleep deprivation is common when you have a new baby (it really is normal when you’re a new parent, but it doesn’t have to last half as long as we typically let it).
But there’s more
A later study by van der Helm et al, further emphasised the effect of sleep deprivation on emotional regulation. Their study showed that sleep deprivation could impair emotional regulation by disrupting the connectivity between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.
While the amygdala processes the emotions, the prefrontal cortex plays an essential role in controlling those emotional responses.
Are you overreacting?
Not only are your emotions heightened when sleep deprived, you will also struggle to control those heightened emotions. Further implying that lack of sleep most likely exacerbates negative or distressing perceptions. Like the sound of your baby crying, or your partner never picking the wet towel up off the floor.
These studies suggest that sleep deprivation might lead to amplified emotional reactivity along with altered perception of emotionally taxing stimuli.
In a nutshell, you just may be over-reacting.
It doesn’t have to be like that
This is where my role as a Sleep Sense Consultant comes into play. My role is to help ensure that your family transitions smoothly into this new phase of parent life. Where everyone achieves healthier, more restful sleep.
By implementing gentle strategies that are tailored to your family, we can work together to help your baby (and you!) get the sleep needed to thrive.
But why does sleep matter?
If you’re well-rested as a parent, you’re much more likely to have balanced emotional reactions. This then makes it easier to respond to your child’s needs effectively.
Adequate sleep not only aids in maintaining emotional balance, but it also helps to improve overall mental and physical health. The result? A more serene and enjoyable parenting experience.
Sleep deprivation is not an inevitable part of parenthood, despite what you may have heard.
With the right guidance and a little patience, you too can enjoy these precious early days with your young baby without the burden of chronic fatigue. I see far too many mums slip into emotional distress and physical illness before they reach out. Don’t let that be you.
As a Sleep Sense Consultant (the only one in NZ currently), my mission is to support you in your parenting journey, using evidence-based techniques to promote healthy sleep habits for your whole family.
If sleep is something you’d like more of, your next step is simple. Book a free initial call with me and lets chat about what’s happening in your family, and how I can help.
Kim xx
References:
Yoo, S. S., Gujar, N., Hu, P., Jolesz, F. A., & Walker, M. P. (2007). The human emotional brain without sleep — a prefrontal amygdala disconnect. Current Biology, 17(20), R877–R878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2007.08.007
van der Helm, E., Gujar, N.,