Stories
How Interrupted Sleep Impacts New Parents and How to Fix It
- •Parents of infants aged three to nine months average 2.5 awakenings per night and spend about 40 minutes awake after initially falling asleep.
- •Despite getting over eight hours of total sleep, parents experience fragmented rest with an average longest uninterrupted sleep period of under six hours.
- •Chronic sleep disruption can lead to fatigue, mood changes, difficulty concentrating, and challenges in parent-child interactions.
- •Resmed’s Global Sleep Survey 2026 highlights that 47 percent of Indians get a good night's sleep on four nights a week or fewer.
- •Parents can improve sleep quality by sharing nighttime responsibilities, maintaining consistent schedules, creating sleep-friendly environments, and napping during the day.
Key Questions Answered
A study on parents with infants aged three to nine months found that they averaged 2.5 awakenings per night and spent about 40 minutes awake after initially falling asleep. Their longest uninterrupted sleep period averaged five hours and 48 minutes, even though their total sleep time exceeded eight hours.
Sleep fragmentation can contribute to fatigue, concentration difficulties, mood changes, and reduced emotional resilience. It is also associated with poorer mood regulation, depressive symptoms, cognitive difficulties, and challenges in parent-child interactions.
Parents can maintain a consistent sleep schedule, create a cool, dark, and quiet environment, avoid sleep fads, and track sleep patterns. Additionally, they can share nighttime responsibilities, protect rest opportunities with daytime naps, and discuss concerns with a doctor.
