Sleeping for less than six hours over 24 hours can impact the memory, decrease the ability to cope with stress and be one of the causes of depression. With one or more young children in the house sleep deprivation can be hard to avoid, but don't underestimate the impact this can have on your mood. It is very hard to be upbeat and resilient to the daily challenges of motherhood when you are deeply tired. In turn our seeming inability to cope can make us feel bad about ourselves.

While sleep deprivation is part and parcel of having a new baby, sleep is also influenced by our lifestyle and our way of thinking and may be helped by a little exercise, a well balanced diet and using simple relaxation techniques.