New parents miss out on 6 months' sleep in the first 2 years
New parents bear the brunt of sleep loss, because the baby requires constant attention, what with the frequent feedings and diaper changes.
Newborn infants sleep in fits and starts, making it virtually impossible for a parent to get more than a couple of hours’ rest at a time.
When parents sleep only for a few hours on a regular basis due to the demands of the infant they tend to build up a "sleep debt" that hampers health.
Parents tend to be exhausted, which leads to crankiness, depression, mood swings, arguments, blazing rows, and relation-ship break-ups.
Details of the survey
Silentnight, UK’s largest manufacturer of branded beds, commissioned a research to get an insight into the erratic sleep hours new parents keep.
They questioned 1,000 parents to see how often they got up to tend to the needs of their tot.
They found that nearly 64 percent of parents with kids two-year-old just got about three-and-half hours of sleep every night.
In addition, there were some couples (12 percent of those surveyed) that got less than two-and-a-half hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.
This falls short of the minimum five hours recommended by experts for an individual to concentrate and function properly.
According to experts, the average adult needs at least nine hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
Silentnight’s sleep expert Iftikhar Mirza stated, “It is hugely important for adults to get at least the minimum recommended hours of basal sleep per night.
“Otherwise they become irritable, perform badly in the workplace and their alertness is seriously hampered.”
Some recommendations
According to the Sleep Council, napping is an ideal way to reduce sleep debt. Having been deprived of good quality rest, even a short nap will be refreshing.
However, a cat nap in the evening is not a good idea because it can disrupt sleep at night.
Parents are advised to partake in light exercises to release endorphins which cut the risk of mood swings.
Sleep experts caution against too much food, caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine before going to bed. While both nicotine and caffeine are stimulants, alcohol may help one fall asleep but it increases wakefulness at night.
Mothers are advised to nurse the infant while lying down on the side which many find a very restful position, especially at night.
Mirza stated, "Lack of sleep and becoming parents goes hand in hand, but parents can help themselves by trying to get their babies into a routine as early as possible.
"They should make sure they eat healthily to boost their immune systems and take regular, gentle exercise to release endorphins, which should lower the risk of mood swings."