ALMOST half of new mothers in Scotland have gone for 24 hours without sleep because their baby has kept them awake.
New research reveals that the sheer exhaustion caused by sleepless nights has led many mothers to feel isolated from their partners, family and friends.
And 80% said the advice they were getting on ways to help their baby to sleep was failing to
solve the problem.
Doctors yesterday warned that while sleep deprivation is an expected part of early parenthood, the impact can be serious.
Experts believe one major problem is that many modern parents are simply unaware of the traditional skills that can make looking after young babies simpler.
The study of almost 800 new mothers found two-thirds didn't leave their home when their baby caused them sleepless nights, and 43% said they did not feel like talking to anyone due to their exhaustion.
More than two-thirds of Scottish mothers reported that tiredness has put a strain on their relationship with their partner, with 58% admitting it had caused arguments.
And one-third believe tiredness has affected their interaction with other family members, with 26% avoiding seeing any relatives when tired. One in 10 admitted that being kept awake had adversely affected them bonding with the baby.
The survey, by Johnson's Baby, also found that 27% of women believe their exhaustion has affected their relationships with their friends. As a result, two-thirds admitted suffering from feelings of loneliness.
Dr Ian St James-Roberts, a paediatric sleep expert, said: "We all know that tiredness goes hand in hand with a new baby, but these results highlight the very troubling effect a baby not sleeping has on family life and a mother's well-being.
"Studies have shown that when in a routine, babies develop the ability to re-settle when they wake at night, instead of crying, and thus they 'sleep through the night' at an early age. It can be difficult to establish this routine, but if you persevere you will get results."
Maggie Mellon, director of services for charity Children 1st, said some skills had been lost due to lifestyle changes.
She said: "Routine is a skill that has been lost because it is something that people used to be brought up with when there were more young babies around families.
"You learned what different cries meant and you knew to be quiet at night-time. If there was more of that culture it wouldn't be such a shock.
"Now there are health visitors and midwives round in the early days, but sometimes they don't have the same skills because we have lost that culture.
"You need to expect to have your sleep interrupted, but it's not forever."
According to the Johnson's Baby Sleep Report, mothers participating in a clinical study of a bedtime routine found that, on average, their babies went to sleep faster and stayed asleep for longer, with a significant decrease in the total amount of time awake during the night. Mothers felt less tense and fatigued and had more energy.
Justine Roberts, founder of parenting website Mumsnet, said: "Sleep deprivation is a common issue and it can be very hard in the first few weeks. The problem is that new parents are too exhausted to grasp the nettle and seek help. Lots of parents have been through this - we are all sleepless with our newborns."
Experts say there are a number of things new parents can do to combat sleep deprivation and help the baby to sleep through the night.
They include sleeping when the baby sleeps, even at odd times of the day, and not staying up late watching television or doing housework when you could be sleeping.
Most parents find that putting the baby into a wind-down night-time routine helps, including a regular bath time and a last feed given in the dark.
They should keep things dark and quiet during the night-time feeds, and then make a big fuss of the baby when it wakes up in the morning, so that it gets to know the difference between night and day.
Some childcare experts suggest waking the baby to feed it during the day, so that it does not spend long stretches awake and feeding in the night. Some also suggest waking the baby at around 10pm for a final feed to see it into the morning.
Taking a baby out for a walk each day gives it fresh air, which can help it sleep at night.
Parents can take turns to sleep in the baby's room, and it can be brought to the mother for breast-feeding and taken away to be settled when it is her turn to sleep alone.
Rest cure
LAST month researchers who examined more than 23,000 men and women in Greece found that those who took a midday nap of 30 minutes or more at least three times a week had 37% less risk of heart-related death, over a period of about six years, than those who did not nap.
The study at Harvard and Athens Universities, reported in the Archive of Internal Medicine, looked at the health records of people aged 20 to 86 with no history of heart disease. Nappers fared considerably better.
