The research team studied 33 mothers during their pregnancies and the first year of their babies’ lives using some latest scientific methods that analyze changes in DNA.
‘Young mothers who sleep for less than seven hours had shorter telomeres in the white blood cells, predisposing them to several diseases. However, every hour of additional sleep can help reduce the mother’s biological age.’
The results showed scientific evidence of shorter telomeres in the white blood cells of mothers who had less than seven hours of sleep. Telomeres are the terminal segments of chromosomes associated with specialized proteins. Previous studies have shown that the decrease in the length of telomeres could predispose a person to cancers, cardiovascular disease, and earlier death.
The team also showed that the mothers could avoid this risk by planning. “We found that with every hour of additional sleep, the mother’s biological age was younger. I, and many other sleep scientists, consider sleep health to be just as vital to overall health as diet and exercise,” says Carroll, a member of the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA’s Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
“We don’t want the message to be that mothers are permanently damaged by infant care and loss of sleep. We don’t know if these effects are long-lasting,” highlights Christine Dunkel Schetter, co-author of the study.
The research, in general, showcases the importance of the sleep health of young mothers, which can help them and their babies in the long run. This can be achieved if women get better chances to get a little extra sleep when their baby is asleep, assistance from family and friends, and flexible work schedules whenever possible.
Source: Medindia
