University seeking new mums for sleep study

Durham University is looking for mothers with babies under three-months-old who are formula feeding for a new study.

The university’s Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre (DISC) is looking at the elements of being a being a new mum and the effect it can have on sleep, including how mums feed their babies, where their babies sleep, and whether they experience postnatal depression.

The study will look at the sleep of new, first-time mothers who choose to either breastfeed or formula feed, in comparison to the sleep of women of the same age who are not mothers during the same period.

The aim is to find out how sleep patterns vary for all three groups of women, and how they relate to mood and daytime functioning.

The DISC team are looking for mums with infants under three months at the time of registration.

All women must be over 18 and non-smokers and live in the North-East of England.

Those taking part will receive £100 worth of highstreet vouchers as a thank you.

Participants and their babies will wear an Actiwatch for five nights a month for six months and will also need to keep a sleep diary for the same five nights.

It will also involve one night in the Sleep Centre, which is in Durham City, corresponding to when their baby is two to three, four, and six months.

Anyone interested in taking part should contact Francesca Tugwell at francesca.tugwell@durham.ac.uk and register your interest by filling out a brief form at https://durham.onlinesurveys. ac.uk/enrolment-expressionof-interest