A new programme in Australia is helping new parents understand their infant’s sleep patterns — and get better sleep themselves, too.
Following the Possums Infant Sleep Programme, parents reported less stress, less concern about sleep problems such as night-waking and day-time naps, and better quality of life, the study authors report in the journal Sleep Health.
“Most of us struggle with sleep disruption when our babies’ sleep patterns aren’t aligned with our own, and parents can become quite anxious and have a low mood,” said lead study author Helen Ball of Durham University’s Parent-Infant Sleep Lab in the United Kingdom.
The Possums Infant Sleep Programme educates parents about expectations around normal infant sleep and encourages them to experiment with strategies. In particular, it explains sleep regulators such as the circadian clock and sleep pressure and encourages parents to respond to babies’ “cues” for eating and sleeping.
The mothers appreciated that the program encouraged flexibility in their parenting, respected their choices, and helped them to relate better to their baby.
Following the Possums Infant Sleep Programme, parents reported less stress, less concern about sleep problems such as night-waking and day-time naps, and better quality of life, the study authors report in the journal Sleep Health.
“Most of us struggle with sleep disruption when our babies’ sleep patterns aren’t aligned with our own, and parents can become quite anxious and have a low mood,” said lead study author Helen Ball of Durham University’s Parent-Infant Sleep Lab in the United Kingdom.
The Possums Infant Sleep Programme educates parents about expectations around normal infant sleep and encourages them to experiment with strategies. In particular, it explains sleep regulators such as the circadian clock and sleep pressure and encourages parents to respond to babies’ “cues” for eating and sleeping.
The mothers appreciated that the program encouraged flexibility in their parenting, respected their choices, and helped them to relate better to their baby.
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