MOTHERS-SLEEP

New mothers get enough sleep, just not good sleep-study

NEW YORK

It may come as news to new parents but a US study has found that mothers do get enough sleep in their babies' first few months -- it's just not good quality.

Researchers from West Virginia University in Morgantown followed a group of new mothers and found, on average, the women got just over 7 hours of sleep a night during their

babies' first four months.

That amount is generally what is recommended for adults, and, based on past studies, more than the average American gets.

But the study found that sleep is also frequently disrupted with the women typically being awake for a total of two hours a night which was worrying as sleep problems and exhaustion may

contribute to postpartum depression and impact work performance.

August 2010