Being on the same sleep-wake cycle during the first months of the baby’s life also helps to establish a trusting rapport between mother and child. Moms who go back to work within weeks of giving birth don’t get the benefit of these daytime naps with their little ones, and their health can suffer as a result. Certain types of brain waves known as delta- and theta-waves that are generally accessed only in deep sleep trigger the brain to produce beneficial hormones like melatonin, growth hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and sex hormones. Deep sleep also allows the brain to restore its supply of neurotransmitters that allow the cells of the nervous system to communicate with one another and with the rest of the systems of the body.
