New parents will get on average just four hours and 44 minutes of sleep per night, it has been revealed.
In the first 12 months of their baby’s life, mothers and fathers will get 59 per cent less kip than the recommended eight hours a night, and lose the equivalent of 50 nights sleep altogether.
As well as having less time to sleep, the average parent will spend 54 minutes per day trying to get their little one to drift off.
And the statistics don’t end there. Mums and dads will also pace the equivalent of two miles while rocking their baby day and night, which over the year adds up to 730 miles and is the equivalent of 28 marathons.
The study, which was commissioned by sleep technology brand Simba, also found 23 per cent of those polled believe their lack of sleep led them to behave ‘slightly unusually’.
Feeling extremely tired from the joys of parenthood, 11 per cent have hallucinated something which wasn’t really there, and 44 per cent admitted they have completely forgotten what they were saying mid-sentence.
Sleep deprivation can also take a toll on relationships as the study showed more than two thirds of British parents have gotten into arguments with their partner purely as a result of their baby’s poor sleep habits.
Sixty-four per cent of parents polled said they look back on their first year as parents and are ‘amazed’ they were able to function through it all as well as they did.
So if you're feeling the effects of sleep deprivation, take some advice from fellow parents, as the the study also asked mothers and fathers for their top tips for helping their baby drift off.
The top 20 tips to help a baby sleep
1. Feeding them warm milk 2. Sticking to your routines 3. Using a gentle rocking motion 4. Giving them a dummy 5. Give them a warm bath before bed 6. Letting them have a comfort blanket 7. Reading them a story 8. Gentle bouncing your baby 9. Singing a song to your little one 10. Giving them a favourite toy to snuggle up with 11. Playing with baby as much as possible during the day to tire them out 12. Playing some calming music 13. Ambient noise such as hairdryers, washing machines, turning on the hoover 14. Driving them around in the car before bed time 15. Giving your baby a massage 16. Children's television shows before bed time 17. Putting them in a hiking pack or pram and walking for miles 18. Reducing eye contact before bed time 19. Putting them outside in the fresh air 20. Scenting a tissue/fabric with fragrance near the bed
Steve Reid, CEO and Co-Founder of Simba, explained: ‘As a new parent myself, the fallout from sleeplessness as a parent can be overwhelming and can push you to the limits, which is why we’ve been meticulous in crafting the new Simba Hybrid® Cot Mattress.
‘Sleep nourishment, plays a vital role in the recuperation, growth, immune system, brain development and learning of a child and having put the cot mattress through rigorous independent testing, the results speak for themselves.
‘When your baby sleeps well, you sleep better and that sets everyone up for the day. Investing in the right mattress is just as important for babies as it is for adults,’ he added.
The Lullaby Trust charity recently spoke out about how to keep your baby’s room at the perfect temperature in order to ensure they have a safe, and comfortable nights sleep.
Words by Kirsty McCormack.
