Breastfeeding affects the sleep of mothers in postpartum period

Abstract

Many mothers in the postpartum period complain of fatigue and shortened sleeping time because of child care. Breastfeeding, especially in the early postpartum period, accounts for a large share of this problem. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of breastfeeding on the sleep of mothers in the postpartum period, using 2 questionnaires: a self-created questionnaire for a survey of breastfeeding, and the OSA sleep inventory MA version for sleeping mothers. We performed the investigation twice, at 5-8 days and at one month after childbirth. The results showed that there was no significant difference in sleep between labor histories and delivery methods, but on the other hand, the exclusive breastfeeding group had a higher score about recovery and sleep length in the night during hospitalization (P < 0.05). In addition, the group of mothers in the lying down breastfeeding position (= Soechichi) group had higher scores in regards to their recovery than the other group in the night (P < 0.05). The exclusive breastfeeding group and the soechichi group also had a higher quality of sleep in both day and night at one month after childbirth. Comparing the quality of sleep between the term of hospitalization and one month after childbirth, it improved after a month, because the mothers had gotten used to breastfeeding and understood their baby's rhythm of breastfeeding after having spent a month together. We conclude that exclusive breastfeeding and the lying down breastfeeding position will provide a better quality of sleep for mothers.