New Dads Get Less Sleep Than New Mums… Says This Book!

A new book in the US claims that dads of newborn babies are more sleep deprived than the mums. According to npr.com, 'The Informed Parent: A Science-Based Resource for Your Child’s First Four Years' quotes a number of studies to back up the assertion. One study from 2013 apparently used wrist trackers to measure both the amount of sleep and the level of sleepiness among 21 couples who had welcomed their first child. It found that fathers got less sleep overall than mothers and experienced more sleepiness, however, it did conclude that mum’s sleep was disturbed more often due to feeding. The publication also cited other studies which produced similar results. One found that working fathers had less sleep because mums had the opportunity to “catch-up” during the day. The evidence is, of course, circumstantial and the objectivity of the subjects has to be taken into account – the book noted that some of the findings were based on how dads and mums “felt.” If your little one is keeping you up, we'd recommend checking out these top tips from Irish mums.