It’s been a hectic week. After your baby was born seven days ago, you’ve had to juggle between caring for the baby, managing visitors, and waking up countless times in the middle of the night to respond to your little one’s cries. The days before you gave birth were filled with excitement and anticipation, but now you have noticed that your mood has begun to fluctuate heavily, frequently going through periods of sadness and anxiety.

You begin to wonder, Am I suffering from postpartum depression? Or am I just sleep-deprived?

Sleep deprivation and postpartum depression have many overlapping symptoms, so distinguishing between the two can be difficult. Not only that, but they can actually exacerbate each other, making the matter even more confusing!

However, it is very important that you are able to identify whether or not you have postpartum depression, because it may require proper treatment to be alleviated. Therefore, we've decided to provide you with information on how to tell the difference between sleep deprivation and postpartum depression.

What is postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is characterised by overwhelming feelings of anxiety, sadness, and hopelessness. Compared to the symptoms of the ‘baby blues’, these feelings are far more severe and last for longer than two weeks. In extreme cases, the mother can go on to experience hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, or thoughts of harming the baby.

Another feature of postpartum depression is that it often involves feelings of self-blame and guilt regarding the mother’s difficulty bonding with their baby. While any mother can suffer from postpartum depression, it is more common among first-time mothers.

What is the relationship between sleep deprivation and postpartum depression?

It is an unfortunate fact of parenting that sleep struggles are simply inevitable during the initial months of your baby’s life. Night upon night, you are woken up by your baby’s cries, and you are required to feed them, soothe them, and change their diapers. Not only this, but the stress of caring for a newborn can cause sleepless nights themselves.

Research indicates that sleep deprivation can cause and exacerbate postpartum depression. So, if you are being woken up constantly and are unable to make up for that lost sleep at other times, you may be more likely to experience the symptoms of postpartum depression. This may start a vicious circle because postpartum depression can, in turn, negatively affect your sleep quality.

Sleep deprivation and postpartum depression can both cause fatigue, concentration difficulties, feeling low, and irritability.

Given their close relationship, it can be difficult to tell whether you have postpartum depression or whether you are just sleep-deprived. For this reason, we’ve put together a list of indications that you are suffering from postpartum depression.

Do I have postpartum depression, or am I just sleep-deprived?

If you have any of the following symptoms, then you may have postpartum depression:

Sadness and heavy mood swings

Anxiety.

Panic attacks.

difficulty carrying out day-to-day activities due to feeling overwhelmed.

A loss of interest in your hobbies.

A loss of appetite.

Being excessively preoccupied with your baby.

Feelings of guilt, self-blame, and shame about being a bad mother

Feeling unable to bond with your baby.

Struggling to sleep, even when your baby is sleeping

If you have any of these symptoms, or if you are concerned about your sleep deprivation, then consult your doctor to discuss a treatment plan. We know how difficult postpartum depression can be to experience, but remember that you will return to your happy and healthy self again—you will get through this!

How can I sleep better if I have postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression can negatively impact your sleep quality, so we’ve provided some tips to help you sleep if you have postpartum depression:

Arrange some off-duty nights. If you have a partner, then it may be helpful to organise some nights in which you are off-duty, allowing you to sleep through the night and alleviating some of the symptoms of your postpartum depression. If you don’t have a partner, then consider asking a trusted family member or friend.

Adjust your sleep hygiene. To improve the length and quality of your sleep, get exercise and fresh air during the day, don’t go on screens late at night, and reduce your intake of sugary and caffeinated substances.

Sleep when your baby sleeps. Your newborn's irregular sleep pattern may make it difficult for you to sleep. To combat this, consider taking the chance to sleep whenever your baby sleeps, even if it is during the day. If you feel this is too tricky, as you have too much to do, don’t be afraid to ask others for help. You’ve just given birth to a tiny human, so you’re entitled to get as much rest as you can!

How can I distinguish between sleep deprivation and postpartum depression?

Is it postpartum depression or just exhaustion? Unii has some answers.