May 14, 2026
Sleep Deprivation and Mood Disorders: Podcast Episode #342
Sleep deprivation is more than just part of new parenthood.  It can have a serious impact on mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.  In this episode of Ask the Doulas Podcast, we’re joined by Mariana Yancik of Gold Coast Doulas to explore the powerful connection between sleep deprivation and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).
Mariana shares how chronic exhaustion can contribute to postpartum depression, anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional burnout, especially in the early weeks after birth. Â We discuss what sleep deprivation actually does to the brain and body, how to recognize when normal fatigue may be something more serious, and practical ways families can protect their mental health while navigating newborn sleep challenges.
This conversation also covers realistic sleep expectations, common misconceptions about infant sleep, the importance of support systems, and how personalized sleep guidance can help parents feel more rested, confident, and emotionally supported. Â Whether you are expecting, newly postpartum, or supporting families professionally, this episode offers compassionate, evidence-informed insight into one of the biggest challenges of early parenthood.
This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth.  Use the code GOLDCOAST to receive a discount of up to 20 percent off.Â
Hello, hello! This is Kristin Revere with Ask the Doulas, and I am thrilled to bring back Mariana Yancik today. She is one of our pediatric sleep consultants at Gold Coast Doulas. Welcome, Mariana!
Hi, Kristin! Thanks for having me again! I am excited to be here today talking about something that we don’t talk about enough.
Exactly! And that would be postpartum mood disorders, perinatal mood disorders, and how lack of sleep can affect your mental health after having a baby.
Yeah, I think postpartum depression and anxiety are still not talked about enough in a real and honest way. Before becoming a mom, I thought I understood what postpartum would feel like, especially being one on one with so many clients. But living through it, it’s very different. For me, it wasn’t just that I was tired; it was a mix of emotions that I didn’t know I would be feeling. And yeah, that definitely affects the sleep. I remember feeling overwhelmed, anxious, not like myself. And I think that’s something a lot of moms experience, but we don’t always say it out loud.
Exactly. I feel like it’s being talked about more now, but there’s not enough education and awareness about the difference between baby blues and hormone fluctuations and postpartum depression and other mood disorders – anything from anxiety to obsessive compulsive disorder. It can get even into psychosis. There are so many different aspects of postpartum mental health.
Right. And I think postpartum depression and anxiety are more common than people think. And I wanted just to say, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It doesn’t mean you’re not a good mom. It just means that you’re going through a huge physical, emotional, and hormonal transition. It’s huge. You become a new person after you give birth.
Agreed. And certainly when you’re sleep deprived, that can just make the situation so much more stressful on the entire family. Some of it has to do with the running thoughts and maybe even if other people are there to help, like a postpartum doula or a family member or your partner, being able to let go and fully relax can be challenging, especially if there was trauma in the birth.
Right. I remember just feeling very overwhelmed, racing thoughts. I had trouble relaxing, even when my son was sleeping. Feeling a little disconnected. I knew so much and I have had so many clients, but when it was my turn, I felt like I didn’t know anything. And sometimes it doesn’t look like how people expect it. You can still be functioning, and still be struggling. And one of the biggest pieces that is often overlooked is sleep. When you’re constantly waking, not getting deep rest, everything feels heavier. Anxiety increases. Emotions feel harder to manage. And sleep doesn’t fix everything, but it supports everything. So it is just so important, to be able to rest when you can in those first few months because you’re adjusting to your new self.
So one thing I’ve noticed lately, Mariana, is that mental health therapists in our area in Michigan have been referring sleep consultants more frequently to their patients, and so I’m getting calls not just for overnight and daytime postpartum doulas to help with clients who are struggling with perinatal mood disorders, but also the importance of having a sleep plan that clients can implement and that friends and family or any other caregivers can help with, like a nanny or a postpartum doula. So I love to see that shift. There’s so many misconceptions, as you know, about sleep consulting and what that really impacts. It’s not all cry it out, as you and I have talked about in a previous podcast episode, and it can be very gentle and focused on individual family goals. It’s not just one plan for everyone. It’s very customized. So I love that therapists are also referencing sleep consultants. Whether it’s an infant or a toddler – because toddler sleep can also affect mental health.
Oh, for sure. And sometimes if you have a toddler and a baby – if you don’t get your sleep, you can’t function. So what is really missing, too, is the support. And also talking about it, not just trying to do everything alone. Having the guidance and structure and knowing what to expect make a really big difference. And if you need to fix your toddler – because if you have a new baby, your toddler will sometimes feel that and then after starting out being a good sleeper, he can start waking up. You put the baby down, and now you have to deal with your toddler. And then your toddler sleeps and the baby wakes up! You just can’t do it all. So having a plan, either for your newborn, your infant, or your toddler, and knowing what to do – we talked about it in a previous episode, about how there’s so much information out there today. But when you have a plan that is specific for you and it’s tailored for your baby, your family, your kid, then you actually know how to implement and what to follow, so you have that structure in place. Then everything feels a little lighter.
Agreed. Yeah, and certainly nap time is also a window where our clients can get more rest. It’s not just overnight. Being able to utilize getting a solid nap in for their infant and/or toddlers can help to get a break. Women don’t have to do it all around the house. A lot of our clients want to tidy up or focus on other chores and tasks during that time that their infants or toddlers are sleep. But I’m like, rest when baby rests. Your house doesn’t have to be perfect.Â
Yeah, that was something that I learned, too, on my own. Everything needed to be perfect; the house needed to be clean and all of this. But I just couldn’t. So we hired someone to help. She was coming over to cook and to do laundry. That was it. But it took that off of my shoulders. Some little things that I would do, like folding burp cloths – you have so many burp cloths. Instead of wasting time folding and going through ten every day, I got a basket and put all the burp cloths in the basket, and they weren’t folded. That was easier for me. This lady was coming over twice a week, but then I had more laundry to do than that. So then I wouldn’t waste time folding, since you’re just going to use that anyway. Or even the pajamas, the baby jammies. Sometimes I would just toss them in a drawer, because who cares if they’re folded really neatly and very organized, if you’re just going to go through three or four jammies today. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Little things like this that I’ve learned, that it’s okay. If I go to sleep and the dishes are in the sink, it’s okay. Just like if I didn’t do one thing or the other – like, if my hair is still dirty, okay, that’s fine. I’ll wash it tomorrow. It’s all okay. It doesn’t have to be all perfect, and it doesn’t have to be all organized. It’s okay to leave stuff for later.
Absolutely. Another way that we can focus our mental health – there are telehealth appointments available now. That is something that, when I had kids, wasn’t an option. Some of our clients also plan a postpartum doula visit around their telehealth, or there are postpartum support groups that are virtual. Or even planning nap time around a session, knowing that you might have to pop out for a second to check on your child, but we don’t necessarily have to get childcare and then drive across town and meet with a therapist to be able to utilize support for yourself and your family.
Right. That’s amazing nowadays, that even your doctors and some other things, that you can do that online. That’s great. I was doing therapy, too, when I was postpartum. It was once a week and it was online. It was great because I didn’t have to worry about getting dressed, leaving the house, making sure the baby is dressed, all of those things that make us not want to go anywhere sometimes. Nowadays, online is great. And that goes for the sleep consultants, as well, because it’s online. The consultants are online. The video calls are online. The support is through text message or email. So you have that support. You have that person that you can talk to and ask questions any time you need it during the weeks of support, and you don’t have to go anywhere. The answers are right there.
So true. And sleep classes are virtual and self-paced and come with a call to answer questions. So there are so many conveniences that can be a positive for mental health. I do believe that with technology, and again, the advantages of it – there’s also something to be said about gathering in person. I’m a big fan of mom groups, whether it’s Fit4Mom, some of the Stroller Stride walking groups, or yoga centers that have a community feel and sometimes have daycare built in. Connecting with other moms who are going through the same thing at the same time is also important.
Yeah, it’s huge. You don’t want to just isolate yourself and stay home. You’re going to drive yourself insane. But if you can go on a stroller walk, I’m sure you’ll meet moms along the way. And there are so many groups – walking groups, stroller groups, play date groups, where you can meet moms who are going through the same thing as you. It’s really amazing. You don’t have to go through it by yourself. There is support, and there are villages and communities around. And this season does not last forever. Even though it can feel like it’s going to last forever, you’ll be okay. The wave is going to pass. The first few months are a bit tough, but then it gets better, I promise.
Yeah, and it’s important to ask for help, and in your case, having someone to help with cooking and cleaning is so important and gives you a break and allows you to bond with your children and not have to worry about the household tasks. So prioritizing budget to consider what would make your life easier, but also self-care, and that self-care can be, when you’re approved to exercise, taking a yoga class. I loved taking the Joyful Sounds music classes with my kids because I could bring my toddler and my baby to the same class. There were other parents, and there was dancing and singing and playing instruments, and it was so fun to get out of the house. For me, the monotony of being home after being so career-focused just was challenging, and I needed to get out and be with other people. So I also enjoyed story time at the library.
The libraries are great, and they’re usually free, too.
Exactly. You can be on a very tight budget and still find ways to connect with others.
And I think it’s that thing where you don’t really want to go. You don’t want to leave the house, don’t want to get ready. It’s hard to leave the house with a baby. But when you’re there, it feels so good after. It feels great. You meet people, and you’re texting them and become friends. You push each other to go again the next week, and you find new resources. It’s just great. Sometimes you just have to have that little push to just go and see, and then once you’re there, it’s kind of like the gym. Sometimes you just don’t want to go, but once you’re there, and then after you’re done, you feel so glad that you went.
Exactly. And yeah, you can always text a friend and see if they want to join. I know when I had my kids, I went through Lamaze with both pregnancies, and I would always see if a friend from class wanted to join me at story time or go for a walk on a nice day and go by the park near the zoo. Just finding ways to have that adult connection that is so needed in the postnatal time.
Right. And then when you meet people that are going through the same thing, you relate so much, and then you’re able to share. You’re able to cry. You’re able to laugh. You’re able to help each other, and that makes such a good community because we need each other. It’s different when you just meet people as an adult, when you just meet people. When you’re in classes and you actually meet moms that have kids the same ages and they’re going through the same thing, it hits differently, in my opinion.
And Mariana, when you are in a sleep consulting session with a client, and they want to prioritize some outings during the day, and you are emphasizing a schedule, what are some of your tips to be able to have balance, get out and meet people, but also have that structure for set nap times and sleep times and really plan for optimal sleep but also be able to do things that may not fit in the perfect schedule?
Right. Well, everything is very personalized for what they want to do. I would say when they’re little babies, like really new born, you have a little schedule, but it doesn’t matter much because they are going to fall asleep in the stroller or car seat. And you can work around nap time and outings like that. And then once they get a little bit older, you kind of want to protect nap time a little bit. But I usually say for the weeks of sleep training, we want to protect the schedule and the structure, but after they know how to sleep independently and after those weeks that they know, then you can get off the schedule here and there because they are just going to adjust. They’re going to sleep in a stroller if they need to. And then the next nap, you go back and schedule. And then the next day, you go back on schedule. And then everything falls into place again. My opinion is that you shouldn’t not go anywhere just because it’s nap time. Just go, and the baby will adjust. It’s okay.
Yeah, I think that is a big misconception about sleep plans and how you need to be so structured that you can’t enjoy life or have a spontaneous meetup. So thank you for answering that question. Mariana, as we wrap up, what are your final tips for our listeners who are wanting to prioritize their mental health, whether they are pre-conception, expecting, or in the thick of maternity leave? I would love your tips on mental health.
I would just say to ask for help. Find your village. Find your community, because you do not have to go through this by yourself. And don’t be afraid of saying what you’re actually feeling. Because a lot of us – at least in my case – I was afraid of being a bad mom for feeling what I was feeling, or feeling guilty about what I was feeling, what I wanted to do and what I didn’t want to do. But then talking through those feelings made me realize that I wasn’t broken. There wasn’t anything wrong with me. It was just a phase that I was going through. And having support, whether it’s your husband, your best friend, your sister, your mom, your therapist, your psychiatrist, your OB-GYN – whoever it is, find someone you can trust. Your postpartum doula, your sleep specialist, even your birth doula. Find someone who you can talk to. Open up; ask for support; ask for help so you can get better and you can be the mom you want to be. I think a big part of why I do what I do now is because I see how much support can change a mother’s experience. It’s huge, and also with the sleep, when sleep improves, when there’s a plan and guidance, everything starts to feel a little more manageable. Postpartum is not just about the baby. It’s about the mother, too. And when we support the mother, we support the whole family.
Exactly. For our listeners who want to connect with Mariana, she can be found at Gold Coast Doulas and on Instagram and Facebook. Our podcasts are on YouTube, as well, and you can also connect and find Mariana at the Gold Coast website under Sleep Consulting. You can book a session there. Thanks so much, Mariana!
Thanks, Kristin, so much for the opportunity of sharing and talking about  things that really need to be talked about more.
It’s so important!
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