When you’re pregnant, stress abounds. You have a gazillion appointments to remember, worries about the baby’s health, possible financial concerns, etc.

You might be shooting yourself in the foot, big-time, if you don’t work on de-stressing. A new survey shows that babies born to women who had high stress levels during pregnancy may sleep poorly compared to babies born to women who weren’t anxious or depressed or particularly stressed.

The investigators suspect that elevated stress hormones that mark depression and anxiety may shape fetal brain development in a way that disturbs early-life sleep patterns.

Crappy sleeping patterns not only make the first few months (or years, in some cases - preggos, pretend you didn’t read that) more difficult for the parents, but children with poor sleep habits are also more likely to develop behavioral problems later on.

What’s an expectant mother to do?

Relax as much as possible. Try to focus on the positives of the pregnancy and the end result (your wonderful baby!) instead of worrying about what-ifs. Ask your doctor about relaxation techniques you can do at home. You may not have any control over the things that stress you out, but you can learn to control your reaction to those stressful things.

It’s also important to remember that some worries and emotional ups and downs are to be expected with pregnancy, [Dr. Thomas] O’Connor noted. It’s when symptoms begin to impair a woman’s daily life, such as her ability to work or get along normally in her relationships, that there may be a problem.

Take it easy, pregnant readers. Your baby just may sleep better for it!

Posted by Sunshine.