One of the hardest parts of becoming a parent is saying goodbye to sleep. After countless all-nighters, parents are willing to do just about anything to get some shut-eye, according to a new study.
Hatch Baby surveyed over 1,000 moms and dads with kids of all ages to learn more about family sleep habits and not only did it reveal just how much (or how little) sleep parents get, it also showed just what they would do to get a good night of shut-eye.
photo: Wokandapix via Pixabay
One of the most surprising revelations was that one-fourth of parents today only get three to five hours of sleep per night. A whopping 77 percent of parents with kids aged five and under said that they be willing to give up something they love or do something they dislike in exchange for a good night’s sleep.
So what were parents willing to do exactly? Forty percent of parents would give up social media for a month in exchange for one night of good sleep, 39 percent were willing to sit in traffic for an hour to get a solid night’s sleep and 30 percent would get dental work done for a blissful night of sweet dreams.
One response that should come as no major surprise is that moms were much more likely than dads to say that they were responsible for their kids following a bedtime routine. Seven out of ten parents said that maintaining a regular bedtime is key for creating healthy sleep habits in their family. Nightlights, diaper changes before bed and sound machines were also cited as helpful tools to get kids to sleep.
“Some children are naturally good sleepers and some need a little help learning the skill,” said Jillian Dowling, certified Hatch Baby sleep expert. “My best tip in this situation is to make sure all children learn to sleep well from a young age by implementing a consistent bedtime routine.”
—Shahrzad Warkentin
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