We’ve heard that massage can help babies relax and decrease colic. A small study is now showing that infants who are massaged by their mothers develop a more regular sleep schedule, too. In an Israeli study, of 20 mothers and their full-term infants, half of the mothers were instructed to massage their babies for 30 minutes before bedtime for 14 days starting when the babies were 10 to 14 days old. The other half of the moms did not massage their infants. Using sensors, the scientists studied the daytime and nighttime activity levels of the infants before and after massage, and at 6-8 weeks of age. They also studied urinary levels of a byproduct of melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone, at 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age. The results were published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The researchers found that at eight weeks, infants who had been massaged were most likely to be active in the early mornings and afternoons, just like their mothers. Babies who hadn’t been massaged were most active around midnight and noon, and then slept most of the afternoon. Melatonin levels were also higher in 12-week-old massaged infants than in the babies who hadn’t been massaged. The researchers believe that the nighttime massage served as a potent cue to help the babies develop night-day cycles, or circadian rhythms, aligned with those of their mothers. Massage involved touching the back of the baby’s head while lightly stroking the baby’s back with circular motions.
