Check-In Example: Sleep

How are you sleeping? How many hours of sleep are you getting? 

With this question we want to see how many hours of sleep she is getting a night.

• Sufficient sleep is a vital factor in reducing depression and anxiety. The recommended number of hours of sleep a postpartum mom gets, who has risk factors or who is experiencing depression or anxiety, is 4 to 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. This is the goal. 

• Many times moms will say, “I slept 2 hours here and there.” That is a red flag. 

• Some moms will say, “1 hour,” and that is an even bigger red flag. 

• Sleep deprivation is like a form of torture, and if a mom already has risk factors, or is not feeling great, this is like gasoline on a fire. 

• Try to help her figure out a better sleep schedule. 

• Example: 

  • “Is it possible for you to go to sleep a little earlier? Like 8 pm?” 

  • If she has a partner or help in the household, inquire whether they are able to take the baby until that first midnight/1 am feeding, so she can sleep. 

  • If the baby keeps her up because she hears every noise and she cannot sleep, ask her if she can sleep in a different room for a little while to see if she gets better sleep.

  • If she is extremely sleep-deprived, try to help her figure out if there is someone in her support system who can come and watch the baby while she sleeps. 

  •  Ask questions about her sleep habits.

    • “Can you make the room darker?”

  • Sleep medications: make sure she knows she can reach out to her doctor if her sleep is not improving; there may be something she can take.  

• A Care Coordinator is concerned about sleep psychosis which can occur from lack of sleep for several days. If mom is not sleeping for days, ask if it is ok to speak to her partner or a family member to discuss how important it is for her to sleep.