Better Sleep for Your Baby, Better Mental Health for You

By Your Health Magazine

Want to feel calmer and more rested? Start with your child’s sleep.

Many parents believe that losing sleep is just part of raising young children. While some sleepless nights are normal, research shows something important: when children sleep well, parents sleep better too.

When children get enough rest, they wake up less during the night. That means fewer interruptions for parents – and more chances to get deep, restful sleep.

This makes a real difference. Parents who sleep well tend to feel less stressed, think more clearly, and handle daily challenges more calmly. Studies also show they are less likely to feel depressed and more likely to respond to their children with warmth and patience.

Mental-health toll on caregivers

If a baby still wakes up many times during the night at six months old, research shows that the mother is more likely to feel depressed by the time the baby turns one. This is true even when other things—like how much money the family has or whether the parents are together—are not part of the problem.

It doesn’t stop there. Parents who are constantly tired often have less patience. They may react more strongly, use stricter discipline, or find it harder to connect during playtime.

Children can sense this stress, which can make them more anxious at bedtime or during the night—leading to even more sleep problems.

This creates a cycle: the child’s poor sleep affects the parent’s mood, and the parent’s stress can make the child’s sleep even worse.

The good news? Breaking this cycle by improving your child’s sleep can help everyone in the family feel better.

Proof that Helping Kids Sleep Helps Parents Too

A well-known study from Melbourne, Australia looked at how gentle sleep strategies—like controlled comforting (checking in at short intervals) or camping out (staying in the room and slowly offering less help)—can help babies and their parents. The study followed 156 babies aged 6 to 12 months and their families.

After two months, here’s what they found:

70% of babies whose parents used these gentle techniques no longer had serious sleep problems (according to parent reports).
In the group that didn’t get the sleep support, only 47% of babies improved that much.

This doesn’t mean all the babies instantly “slept through the night.” It means that most parents felt their baby’s sleep had gotten much easier to manage.

The study also looked at how these changes affected mothers’ mental health. Among mothers who had signs of depression at the start of the study, twice as many improved in the group that used sleep strategies compared to the group that didn’t.

And these changes lasted. A follow-up study showed that mothers still had better mental health and less stress two years later—with no negative effects on their bond with their child.

So what does this mean for families?

These results show that:

Simple, supportive sleep strategies can make a big difference in just a few weeks.
Helping your baby sleep better can improve your own sleep, mood, and well-being.
You don’t need to use harsh “cry-it-out” methods. Gradual, gentle approaches are effective and safe.

Simple Sleep Habits That Help the Whole Family Rest Better

1. Create a calm bedtime routine.
Spend about 20 minutes doing the same relaxing steps each night – like a warm bath, reading a short story and cuddles. This helps your child’s brain understand that it’s time to sleep. What matters most is doing the routine in the same order, at the same time, every night. Research shows that a regular bedtime routine can cut night wakings in half.

2. Turn off screens one hour before bed.
TVs, tablets, and phones give off a kind of light that tricks the brain into staying awake. When screens are turned off at least an hour before bedtime, your child’s body can make melatonin naturally – the hormone that helps us feel sleepy.

3. Use gentle sleep strategies instead of “cry-it-out.”
You don’t need to leave your baby alone to teach them to sleep. There are many gentle sleep training methods that don’t harm bonding between parent and child.

4. Take turns during the night.
If you’re parenting with a partner, try switching off who gets up with the baby. This way, each of you can get at least one longer stretch of sleep every other night. If you’re alone, see if a family member or friend can help with one night feed. And don’t feel guilty about napping when your baby naps – your rest matters too.

5. Make the bedroom sleep-friendly.
Children sleep better in rooms that are dark, cool, and quiet. Experts recommend keeping the room between 18–20 °C (64–68 °F). Try blackout curtains and white noise if needed. A peaceful sleep space helps reduce the chances of your child waking up during the night – and pulling you out of bed too.

6. Don’t wait to get help.
If your child is older than six months and still wakes up many times every night, and you feel constantly tired or stressed, it’s time to reach out. Talk to your child’s doctor or a certified sleep consultant. The earlier you get help, the easier it is to fix, and it can also protect your mental health.

Turning Research into Practical Advice on Child Sleep

During routine visits mothers and fathers mention short naps, night waking, and bedtime tears. Yet a survey of 152 paediatric training programmes in ten countries found an average of only 4.4 teaching hours on child-sleep care – with one quarter of programmes offering none at all. That gap leaves many healthcare professionals leafing through blogs at midnight while families wait for clear answers.

The International Institute of Infant Sleep fills that gap. Its course of study to become a sleep consultant moves step-by-step through the first years of life – newborn sleep, infant routines, toddler resistance, preschool fears – and pairs each stage with case work and mentor feedback. The design keeps theory short, then asks learners to apply it in sample charts, diary reviews, and parent-friendly plans.

The science may be complex, but families need clear steps. The International Institute of Infant Sleep turns research into actions healthcare professionals can use at the next appointment – closing a long-standing education gap and giving tired households a better night’s rest.

References

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2.Hiscock H, et al. Long-term mother and child mental health effects of a population-based infant sleep intervention. Pediatrics. 2008;122:e621–e627.

3.Tikotzky L, et al. Night Waking in 6-Month-Old Infants and Maternal Depressive Symptoms. Sleep. 2010;33(5):569–576.

4. Hiscock H, et al. Improving infant sleep and maternal mental health: a cluster randomised trial. Arch Dis Child. 2007;92:952–958.

5. Nevarez MD, et al. Non-pharmacological interventions to lengthen sleep duration in children: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2022;176(11):e223456.

6. Meijer AM, et al. Poor parental sleep and the reported sleep quality of their children. Pediatrics. 2016;137(3):e20152985.

7. Arizona State University News. Helping children – and their parents – sleep better at night. 2025.

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10. International Institute of Infant Sleep. (2025). Professional training for child sleep consultants.