Every hour
of sleep is essential. As if parents of
newborns aren’t already missing out on critical sleep, we all had to set our
clocks forward last night and lose yet another hour of precious sleeptime!
This year,
daylight savings falls on the last day of National Sleep Awareness Week –March 5th
– 9th. So let’s talk about
some of the effects of losing those Zzz’s:
Research shows that losing an hour of sleep (such
as in the spring daytime saving, when time skips ahead one hour at 2 AM) is a
bigger deal than you might think. A 2008 New England Journal of Medicine study found
that the incidence of heart attacks significantly increased in the three
workdays following the switch. (Conversely, heart attack rates dipped in the
fall when we gained an hour of sleep). According to the researchers, disruption
in the body’s circadian rhythm may have taken a toll on heart health.
Further, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) warns that drowsy driving leads to nearly 17 percent of
fatal crashes and 25 percent of car-accident-related deaths occur in low-light
environments. If you’ve gotten used to a sunny morning commute, driving in a
dimmer setting can compromise your alertness and safety.
Visit www.sleepfoundation.org for more
information on why sleep is so important and the effects sleep deprivation have
on our health.
Investing in
your sleep, is a way to take care of your health so you can devote your best to
your newborn.
Let a baby
nurse be the gift that takes those health risks off the table by tending to
your newborns needs overnight.
~Cradle and
All, LLC “Cribside Care for Baby, Peace
of Mind for Mommy”
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