Sleep
05/28/24 • 31 min
Sleep is absolutely vital for the body and brain to function properly, but sleep disruption is almost universal in the perinatal period. This can have a huge impact on parenting and on mental health.
In this episode we talk to Dr Chiara Petrosellini about the complicated relationship between sleep and perinatal mental health. Tune in to hear about the science of sleep, the specific challenges in the perinatal period, and evidence-based strategies for improving sleep during this crucial time.
Recommended resources:
- The Sleep Foundation
- BMJ visual summary on optimising sleep for night shifts
- Maternal sleeping problems before and after childbirth: a systematic review (open access paper)
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health difficulties, there is lots of help available. You can contact your primary care provider in the first instance, or if you are based in the UK the NHS perinatal mental health website will help you to find support in your local area.
Sleep is absolutely vital for the body and brain to function properly, but sleep disruption is almost universal in the perinatal period. This can have a huge impact on parenting and on mental health.
In this episode we talk to Dr Chiara Petrosellini about the complicated relationship between sleep and perinatal mental health. Tune in to hear about the science of sleep, the specific challenges in the perinatal period, and evidence-based strategies for improving sleep during this crucial time.
Recommended resources:
- The Sleep Foundation
- BMJ visual summary on optimising sleep for night shifts
- Maternal sleeping problems before and after childbirth: a systematic review (open access paper)
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health difficulties, there is lots of help available. You can contact your primary care provider in the first instance, or if you are based in the UK the NHS perinatal mental health website will help you to find support in your local area.
Previous Episode
Gender disappointment
“Is it a boy or a girl!?”
Some parents experience sadness, distress, and feelings of shame when their baby’s gender does not match their preferences and expectations. In this episode, Lynsey and Chrissy discuss the individual, social, and cultural aspects of gender preference and gender disappointment.
If you would like to learn more about this topic, you can read Chrissy’s open-access paper here: ‘It's a girl!’ Is gender disappointment a mental health or sociocultural issue? | BJPsych Bulletin
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health difficulties, there is lots of help available. You can contact your primary care provider in the first instance, or if you are based in the UK the NHS perinatal mental health website will help you to find support in your local area.
Next Episode
ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects up to 4% of the adult population although it is under-recognised and under-diagnosed in women and girls.
In this episode we are joined by Dr Shevonne Matheiken, who shares her own lived and learned experience of ADHD and parenthood. We discuss the medical and social models of ADHD, the different ways that it can manifest, the challenges that can arise during major life transitions such as pregnancy and parenthood, and the implications for perinatal mental health.
Resources and references for this episode:
- Adult ADHD: time for a rethink? - Matheiken et al 2024
- ADHD & autism: before, during, and after pregnancy - Tommy’s Pregnancy Hub
- Females with ADHD: an expert consensus statement - Young et al 2020
- Obstetric complications in mothers with ADHD - Walsh et al 2022
- ADHD medication use trajectories among women in the perinatal period - Bang Madsen et al 2024
- In utero exposure to ADHD medication and long-term offspring outcomes - Bang Madsen et al 2023
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health difficulties, there is lots of help available. You can contact your primary care provider in the first instance, or if you are based in the UK the NHS perinatal mental health website will help you to find support in your local area.
Beyond Baby Blues - Sleep
Transcript
[00:00:11] Chrissy: Welcome everyone to the Beyond Baby Blues podcast. My name is Dr. Chrissy Jayarajah and I'm a consultant perinatal psychiatrist working in London.
[00:00:22] Lynsey: And I'm Dr. Lynsey McAlpine. I'm a trainee psychiatrist also based in London. And today we're joined by my friend and colleague, Dr. Chiara Petrosellini. Chiara is an obstetrics traineewho has joined us for this episode about sleep in the perinatal period. Chiara welcome
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