Normally, men would think that when it comes to parenting a newborn baby, the most sleep-deprived are women because they have the breast milk that babies need everytime they wake up in the middle of the night. Well, according to some studies, men are more likely to be sleep-deprived than women when parenting a new baby.
According to npr, the cited study was on 2013 where 21 couples with their first baby have revealed that fathers are the ones more sleep-deprived. Fathers have experienced more sleepiness according to an experiment using a wrist tracker. In the same study, authors have also concluded that mothers are experiencing a lot of disturbed sleep because of breastfeeding.
Another study that was published in 2004 have the same results among new fathers. Of the 72 samples of new couples with their first infant baby, the study revealed that fathers are still the ones getting less sleep compared to mothers.
Though both sides of the new parents have expressed the same level of tiredness and sleepiness, the mothers are still getting the worse record of neurobehavioral testing since they are frequently awakened by babies for breastfeeding.
According to the lead authors of the study, the occupation or work of the parents plays a big role in sleep deprivation. They have found that couples are more stressed, sleep-deprived and fatigued in the first month or postpartum than the last prenatal month.
A study in 2012 has involved 241 new fathers that are sleep-deprived and have long working hours a day. They were asked to answer a questionnaire about how was it when they were caring for their new baby during its sixth to 12th weeks of age. They were extremely tired and fatigued and they still work without any chance of compensating to those restless days.
Sleep deprivation can have a dangerous effect on you and your family. Some effects of sleep deprivation is sleepiness in driving which is as dangerous as driving drunk and relapses in mental illness if a parent has a history.
Here are some few tips for new fathers in surviving the first few months of infant care from Quick Tips.
1. Eat three times a day. Make sure to eat healthy foods to give your body some energy to be ready for what's ahead.
2. Take naps if possible, especially when your baby is also sleeping.
3. Go to bed early. Though it's inevitable to have broken sleep, your body will adjust to it.
4. You and your partner should take turns to allow each to rest. It's highly advisable to give each other a full night off to get a chance of undisturbed sleep.
5. Inhale and exhale smoothly. Give yourself some deep breath. Your brain also needs oxygen to make you feel active.
