WVU Study featured on WV Public Broadcasting

A study led by Dr. Hawley Montgomery-Downs, aimed at monitoring sleep patterns in new mothers, followed 74 women for up to 16 weeks after they gave birth. The new mothers kept daily journals and wore wrist monitors that tracked sleep patterns. The research reveals that new mothers sleep longer than expected (approximately 7.2 hours a night), but that the quality of sleep is disturbed and inefficient.  Montgomery-Downs says that this study should be taken into consideration when evaluating federally-mandated unpaid family leave policies.

The study is published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The full article can be viewed on the West Virginia Public Broadcasting website.