Study: Massage Helps Regulate Infants' Sleep
Massage Therapy May Help Development Of Circadian Rhythm
POSTED: 9:47 a.m. EST December 16, 2002
We all love massages -- including infants. Studies have found that massage therapy relaxes infants, decreases crying in colicky babies, and enhances infant-mother interaction for depressed mothers.
A new study found that massage therapy may also help newborns develop a more regular sleep cycle -- which may mean more hours of uninterrupted sleep for moms.
The small study was conducted by researchers at Tel Aviv University and the University of Haifa in Israel. The results are published in the December issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
"Massage therapy by mothers in the perinatal period serves as a strong time cue, helping infants coordinate their developing circadian system with environmental cues," said lead reseracher Sari Goldstein Ferber.
Circadian rhythm is a biological clock that helps humans and other beings adjust to the Earth's 24-hour rotational time.
The study included about 20 mothers and their infants. One group of the mothers massaged their infants in order to regulate the infants' bedtime, while the other group did not massage.
Mothers in the massage group were asked to provide 30 minutes of bedtime massage therapy to their infant for 14 days, beginning at 10 to 14 days after birth. The massage involved touching the infant's head with one hand and lightly stroking his or her back in a circular motion with the other.
Researchers used a sensor to measure the infants' daytime and nighttime activity before and after treatment. They also measured the quantities of a melatonin byproduct in the infants' urine at 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age. Melatonin is a sleep-regulating hormone secreted by the pineal gland at night. The secretion of melatonin is controlled by the circadian system, according to this study and others.
At 8 weeks, the infants in the massage group had activity patterns that were more closely aligned with their mothers, the reserachers found. Their peak activity occurred during the early morning hours, while the infants in the non-massage group were most active around midnight.
In addition, the infants in the massage group were active during the afternoon, while the control group showed activity around the noon hour and slept during the afternoon. The researchers also found higher nighttime melatonin production at the age of 12 weeks in the massaged infants.
A new study found that massage therapy may also help newborns develop a more regular sleep cycle -- which may mean more hours of uninterrupted sleep for moms.
The small study was conducted by researchers at Tel Aviv University and the University of Haifa in Israel. The results are published in the December issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
"Massage therapy by mothers in the perinatal period serves as a strong time cue, helping infants coordinate their developing circadian system with environmental cues," said lead reseracher Sari Goldstein Ferber.
Circadian rhythm is a biological clock that helps humans and other beings adjust to the Earth's 24-hour rotational time.
The study included about 20 mothers and their infants. One group of the mothers massaged their infants in order to regulate the infants' bedtime, while the other group did not massage.
Mothers in the massage group were asked to provide 30 minutes of bedtime massage therapy to their infant for 14 days, beginning at 10 to 14 days after birth. The massage involved touching the infant's head with one hand and lightly stroking his or her back in a circular motion with the other.
Researchers used a sensor to measure the infants' daytime and nighttime activity before and after treatment. They also measured the quantities of a melatonin byproduct in the infants' urine at 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age. Melatonin is a sleep-regulating hormone secreted by the pineal gland at night. The secretion of melatonin is controlled by the circadian system, according to this study and others.
At 8 weeks, the infants in the massage group had activity patterns that were more closely aligned with their mothers, the reserachers found. Their peak activity occurred during the early morning hours, while the infants in the non-massage group were most active around midnight.
In addition, the infants in the massage group were active during the afternoon, while the control group showed activity around the noon hour and slept during the afternoon. The researchers also found higher nighttime melatonin production at the age of 12 weeks in the massaged infants.
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