What: A small study of 41 first-time moms found that it’s not just lack of sleep that is a challenge postpartum — it is the lack of *uninterrupted* sleep that really compounds things. They found uninterrupted sleep remains significantly reduced throughout the first 13 weeks postpartum, leading to exhaustion, negative cognitive effects, and mood regulation issues.

Key Line: “But while total daily sleep crept back to 6.7 hours in postpartum weeks 2-7, new moms received only 3.2 hours of uninterrupted sleep by that time. In postpartum weeks 8-13, moms logged 7.3 hours of total daily sleep compared to just 4.1 hours of uninterrupted sleep. ‘This persistent reduction in uninterrupted sleep explains why mothers continue to feel exhausted even when they appear to be getting ‘enough’ sleep on paper,’ Lillis said.”

Source: Medscape