A fresh new study says that moms get less sleep than dads, particularly when the couple has small children. In fact, the possibility of getting inadequate sleep among moms almost doubled with the addition of every new family member.
And it’s understandable, women being primary caregivers, their sleep schedules are more dependent on others. They have to sleep after their kids have slept, and they have to wake up before everyone else.
You would think that now that we are in the twenty-first century, the problem is not as bad as it once was when women were less independent. But actually, women are getting fewer and fewer hours of sleep each year and it’s because they usually bear most responsibilities associated with caring for the family.
Each day, moms have to care for the children, household chores, and even the family. So, it should hardly be surprising that they are sleeping less than their partners on a consistent basis.
The study involved more than 5,000 subjects, who were both men and women. The study also confirmed that many women under the age of 45 were sleep deprived.
In addition to not getting enough sleep, moms also admitted to feeling tired throughout the day. Not getting enough hours of sleep is clearly part of the problem.
What is worrying about the study is that it proves that a mom’s job is getting harder, not easier.
Unfortunately, people who don’t get enough sleep have been linked to more psychological distress, and they had higher risks of experiencing chronic illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Women have these problems more than their male counterparts. Therefore, urgent measures need to be taken to ensure that moms don’t deny themselves sleep to the extent of putting their long-term health at risk.
Fortunately, there are things moms could do to get more hours of sleep. One simple way of doing this is ensuring that the family goes to bed based on a defined sleep schedule.
If everyone sleeps at the same time, moms do not have to hang around waiting for the night owls to finally get to bed before retiring to bed themselves. This is also a very effective way of ensuring that they get as much sleep like everyone else.
Another solution is reducing the amount of time you spend watching the television as a family. Screen time spent on tablets and even smartphones also need to be reduced so that we can get more rest. When family members don’t spend too much time on their screens and instead go to bed early, moms can sleep early as well and get enough hours of sleep.
On top of this, moms can try out some relaxing bedtime routines such as meditating, taking a warm shower, or even reading a book.
For those who find sleep to be a problem, interventions such as avoiding naps, and working out on a daily basis might offer some relief. Making changes to your bedroom might also help. For instance, making changes to your pillows, comforters, and even mattress can help you fall asleep much sooner when you retire to bed at night.