Parents Admit Sleep Deprivation Affects Mental Health And Their Relationships

Nearly a quarter of parents admit a lack of sleep impacts their wellbeing and mental health.

What’s more, 22% of 7,535 parents surveyed by Netmums, in conjunction with The Children’s Sleep Charity, also said their relationship with their partner is negatively affected by their tiredness.

“Our research clearly shows that sleep deprivation impacts on the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of both parent and child,” Vicki Dawson, CEO and founder of The Children’s Sleep Charity told The Huffington Post UK.

“Being sleep deprived can lower the immune system, which can mean that we may pick up illnesses more easily. The importance of sleep is often missed when it comes to wellbeing and yet it is absolutely vital for the whole family.”

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More than a third (35%) of parents described themselves as regularly being “exhausted” and more than half (59%) admitted they’ve lied about how well they cope with sleep deprivation.

The figures were released to mark The Children’s Sleep Charity’s week-long ‘Sleep Week’ campaign.

Dawson explained that mums and dads often come to the charity for support after their relationship has suffered due to a lack of sleep.

“Sleep deprivation can really take its toll on relationships,” she added.

“Disrupted sleep can lead us to be less tolerant than usual. Parents may also have different views on their child’s sleep issues and this can build pressure within the relationship.”

Parents taking part in the survey admitted to driving on the wrong side of the road, going to the shops in their pyjamas and hallucinating, due to being sleep deprived.

One parent also admitted to putting a kettle in the fridge and another fell asleep on the toilet.

Jo Wheatley, Netmums’ associate editor was not surprised to learn parents’ relationships are suffering as a result of sleep deprivation.

“When both partners are tired, they get snappy with each other, their love life is affected and this places a great strain on them both as a couple,” she told HuffPost UK.

“A lack of sleep also has an enormous effect on wellbeing. Mums tell us they’re so exhausted that they ‘drag’ themselves through the day, relying on caffeine to get them though.

“This can make it hard to cope with the pressures of parenthood and some mums admit they often feel low and emotional.”

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The study also revealed problems parents have with their children’s sleep.

Of the parents surveyed, 17% admitted their child is regularly tired and grumpy during the day and almost a third (29%) of respondents admitted their children play on an electronic device most or every night.

More than half (56%) revealed their child will wake up once, twice, three times or more during any one night.

“Parents have told us they use electronic devices as a bribing tool to get their kids to go to upstairs to bed,” Wheatley added.

“While others tell us they ban these devices before bed in case their children become over-stimulated by them and find it hard to sleep as a result.”

For advice on how to deal with sleep deprivation as a parent, watch the video above.

Before You Go

Surprising Ways Sleep Affects Your Day

Driving Ability(01 of07)

Most of us wouldn’t dream of getting behind the wheel when we’re over the legal alcohol limit. But driving when we’re sleep deprived can be just as dangerous in terms of our reaction times, according to researchers.

One study found that moderate sleep deprivation (staying awake for 17 to 19 hours) produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication. (credit:Allen Donikowski via Getty Images)

Self-Esteem(02 of07)

Ever wondered why sometimes you breeze through the day full of confidence and chutzpah, while others you feel useless and inadequate and just want to crawl back into bed?

Research suggests poor sleep could be a contributing factor. A study on the connection between sleep and self-esteem found that short sleep duration was related to lower optimism and self-esteem when compared to those sleeping seven to eight hours. (credit:PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou via Getty Images)

Brain Function(03 of07)

Scientists have found new evidence that reveals how lack of sleep affects our memory and capacity to learn new information – which could explain why work tasks seem so much more challenging when we’re not sleeping well.

The study, led by Christoper Nissen at the University of Freiberg Medical Center last month [August 2016] shows for the first time that sleep resets the build-up of connectivity that takes place over the course of the day in the human brain – a process crucial for our grey matter to remember and learn.

It was found that loss of a single night’s sleep was enough to block the brain’s natural reset mechanism, causing neurons to become muddled with electrical activity and unable to lay down new memories. (credit:Sam Edwards via Getty Images)

Speech(04 of07)

Sleep deprivation could have a similar affect to alcohol when it comes to your speech, too. So if you’ve got an important work presentation or job interview looming, you’d be well advised to get a good night’s sleep. According to researchers at Pennsylvania State University, a lack of sleep could affect the way you speak in a number of telling ways.

One study of students found that the longer participants stayed awake, the more likely they were to show dramatic changes in energy, speech patterns and pronunciation. (credit:PeopleImages via Getty Images)

Cold Fighting Powers(05 of07)

Feel like you’re constantly battling colds and viruses? Mum could be right about you needing an early night. A U.S. study published in the journal Sleep found those who slept six hours or less a night were four times more likely to catch a cold than those who slept for more than seven hours.

The researchers analysed 94 men and 70 women, of an average age of 30, by giving them a wrist-mounted sleep sensor to track the quantity and duration of their sleep each night for a week. (credit:Milan Markovic via Getty Images)

Gym Workout(06 of07)

There is plenty of evidence to suggest physical exercise can help you get a better night’s sleep. But did you know that the relationship is mutually beneficial, and that sleep could also boost the results of your workout?

According to researchers, sleep could be key to seeing the best results from your CrossFit workout. One study found that sleep debt damages muscle physiology and impairs muscle recovery because of increased stimulation of protein degradation, which impairs protein synthesis and decreases muscle mass. (credit:ferrantraite via Getty Images)

Sex Life(07 of07)

‘Netflix and chill’ might be a euphemism for sex but too many late-night TV dramas and not enough sleep could ultimately be the death of your sex life. A 2011 study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), found that after one week of sleep deprivation (less than 5 hours a night), young men had 15% less testosterone than normal (the equivalent testosterone loss to 10 to 15 years of aging) resulting in a reduced libido.

Meanwhile, a 2015 study by the University of Michigan Medical School looked at the sleep and sex patterns of 171 female college students for 14 days, concluding that every extra hour of sleep the women received made them 14% more likely to engage in sex. (credit:KatarzynaBialasiewicz via Getty Images)

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Before You Go

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