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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Comment
Eleanor de Jong

Is sleep the canary in the coalmine – a clue to the health of our minds?

Silhouette of woman lying on the bed and sleeping on pillow in bedroom opposite panoramic window with view on palm tree sea beach at sunset. Back view.
‘While sleep has always been an intimate part of manic depression, new lines of inquiry are exploring whether sleep and the disruption of it are the defining characteristic of the disease itself and not just a symptom or side-effect of it.’ Composite: Getty Images/iStockphoto

When I had my baby, almost as soon as she was safely out, the medical experts around me were urging me to sleep.

A nurse was assigned to feed her and the midwife team taped handwritten signs across my door: “Do not disturb this patient” and “This patient must sleep”.

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