Study finds before bed routine improves sleep

Study finds before bed routine improves sleep

A clinical study conducted by sleep experts has found that a new Before-Bed Routine pioneered by Johnson & Johnson significantly improves infant sleep.

Babies were not the only ones to benefit from the trial. Results showed that mothers reported a reduction by more than 50 per cent in their own tension, anxiety and fatigue and an increase in their energy levels.

The results are heartening and may go some way in supporting women in the early stages of Post Natal Depression, says respected mental health therapist Leanne French.

“Recent research made public by Auckland University showed that one in three Kiwi mothers suffered from Post Natal Depression with New Zealand having one of the highest rates of Post Natal Depression in the world,” she says.

French says she’s pleased to see companies such as Johnson & Johnson taking a socially responsible attitude and helping to educate new parents with skills such as sleep routines.

“Sleep deprivation has many consequences. If mothers don’t sleep well it is likely they will display early symptoms of Post Natal Depression. Getting your baby to sleep soundly means that you get your sleep, allowing your body to do the deep healing and repair work that keeps you healthy,” says French.

The latest clinical study was conducted at Saint Joseph’s University Sleep Centre at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and involved 58 infants under two and their mothers.

Dr Jodi Mindell, who led the clinical trial says the use of Johnson’s® baby bedtime bath™ and baby bedtime lotion™, which contain NaturalCalm™ essences, in the Before-Bed Routine, showed significant improvement in baby’s sleep. The study results found that babies fell asleep faster, stayed asleep longer and night awakenings were reduced by half.

The Before-Bed Routine consists of a warm bath with Johnson’s® bedtime bath™, followed by a gentle massage with Johnson’s bedtime lotion™ and then a quiet activity of the parent’s choice, such as reading, cuddling or listening to soft music.

“Getting enough sleep affects many aspects of an infant’s wellbeing such as mood, overall health, how well they learn and how they behave,” says Mindell.

Dr Alex Bartle, Director of the Sleep Well Clinics in New Zealand, says babies sleep structure is quite different to that of adults. “Babies do tend to wake during the night”, says Dr Bartle. “Problems arise when they are not able to soothe themselves back to sleep.”

“Many babies have to be taught to settle back to sleep, so a consistent routine is vital,” he says. “It’s important to establish this routine as soon as possible.”

Routines like this are not only vital for the health of the baby but also the baby’s parents, says French, who has treated numerous cases of PND in her fifteen years as a therapist.

Symptoms include; anxiety, panic attacks, uncontrollable crying, feeling empty and detached and lack of interest in most things.

Treatment for PND includes sleep, balanced meals and nutritional supplements, exercise, relaxation, counselling, receiving practical help and naturopathic or medical intervention.

French says that extreme PND where there is potential to harm self or baby needs immediate psychiatric intervention.

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