The excitement of a new baby can quickly become a time of sleep deprivation and depression for many new mothers. But a world first study by the Centre for Community Child Health has found that postnatal depression can be dramatically reduced by teaching parents techniques to settle restless babies.

The study of 300 Victorian families who had babies with sleeping disorders found that after interventions by specially trained nurses, mothers were 37 per cent less likely to suffer depressive symptoms than those with no intervention when babies turned 10 months.

Babies given sleep management plans at eight months were 42 per cent less likely to have sleeping problems at 10 months. When the babies reached two years old, their mothers were 59 per cent less likely to have depressive symptoms.

Parents of sleepless babies were shown how to replace traditional methods such as rocking, driving around the block or using dummies with a number of alternative strategies including 'controlled comforting' and 'camping out'.

Study leader Harriet Hiscock, said about 45 per cent of Australian babies aged six to 12 months had sleep problems and one in seven women experienced postnatal depression.

In response to the success of the study, State Minister for Children, Sherryl Garbutt, announced plans to train 200 maternal and child health nurses to help families manage infant sleep problems.

Snooze recommends any parents experiencing maternal depression symptoms contact their local maternal child heath nurse.