The impact of parental sleep deprivation in young families

A study into the challenges parents face, from lack of sleep in the early years of child rearing.

Background and study objectives

Sleep plays a crucial role in the health and well-being of both children and parents, yet many families face ongoing challenges in establishing restful sleep routines. We set out to better understand the impact of sleep deprivation on parents and caregivers of children under 5 years old. The study aimed to:

1. Explore the extent of sleep deprivation experienced by parents, including night waking frequency, sleep quality and time taken to fall back asleep.

2. Understand the emotional, physical and relational effects of disrupted sleep on parents’ wellbeing, confidence and daily functioning.

3. Identify coping strategies and support systems used by parents, including partner involvement, informal networks and professional resources.

4. Examine parents’ expectations versus the reality of infant and toddler sleep and how this shapes their experience.

5. Highlight opportunities for brands and services - such as ergoPouch - to better support sleep-deprived parents through education, empathy-led communication and helpful tools

Study Methodology and Respondent Profiles

In 2025, we engaged UK pregnancy and parenting resource, Bounty.com to conduct a study surveying new parents to better understand how we could further support UK families in sleep, beyond our range of sleepwear for babies and children.

Bounty UK conducted the research with pre and postnatal members of the Bounty Parenting Club, through their App. The fieldwork was completed between July - September 2025, with a 35.3% completion rate, or 1,194 total valid responses. 

The respondent profile included 22.8% who were not currently pregnant, 46.5% who are currently pregnant but not for the first time. Over half the respondents (55%) had babies older than 12 months, showing that sleep challenges persist well beyond the newborn phase. 24% had babies aged 1-3 months, with the remaining 21% having a baby between 4-12 months.

Study reveals a major gap in postnatal care as sleep-deprived parents struggle to cope.

We identified a significant and largely overlooked gap in postnatal care for families across the UK - a lack of meaningful support for parental sleep deprivation during the early years of parenthood.

The research highlights the hidden depth, longevity and impact of sleep deprivation, revealing that for many families, exhaustion does not end after the newborn stage but persists well into toddlerhood and beyond.

While tiredness is widely accepted as “part of having a baby”, the findings show that 47% found their experience didn’t match their expectations of sleep, despite going into parenthood anticipating sleepless nights in the early years and feeling prepared. The reality often feels more intense and longer-lasting than expected, with parents sharing that the exhaustion and subsequent side effects were beyond anything expected. Over 82% of parents reported their child wakes more than twice in the night, with 41% waking more than 4 times overnight, highlighting the common and persistent frequency of waking that is leading to sleep deprivation.

Managing this ongoing exhaustion becomes one of the most challenging parts of early parenthood; long-term sleep deprivation affects 72% of parents’ mental health and overall wellbeing, with 45% experiencing symptoms of postnatal anxiety or depression they believe are directly linked to lack of sleep.

The research also highlights the real-world consequences of chronic exhaustion. One in five parents (22%) reported feeling unsafe driving due to tiredness, while 8% said they had experienced an accident they attributed to lack of sleep. Parents described struggling to function day to day, with sleep deprivation impairing memory, decision-making, emotional regulation and the ability to work effectively.

Despite the scale of the issue, professional support remains largely inaccessible. Only 2% of parents said they had hired a sleep expert, with the majority relying on informal advice, trial and error, or overstretched health visitors and midwives for guidance. While the NHS acknowledges tiredness and provides informal coping guidance, there is no formalised sleep support pathway embedded in postnatal care for parents experiencing long-term or debilitating sleep deprivation, despite its clear link to maternal wellbeing.

The “Gender Sleep Gap” is Leaving Mothers Exhausted, Anxious and Under-Supported

The study highlighted a truth that we believe is not spoken about enough, that mothers disproportionately carry the load of night waking and settling. 

86% of night-time wake-ups are handled by mums, compared to just 6–7% by fathers or partners. The findings highlight a persistent “gender sleep gap” that is impacting mothers’ mental health, confidence, relationships and ability to thrive both at home and at work.

Despite assumptions that disrupted sleep improves as babies grow, the research shows that exhaustion is often long-lasting. More than half (55%) of respondents had babies over 12 months old, yet many continued to experience frequent night wakings and prolonged sleep disruption, with the mother continuing to be the one waking to settle the child overnight.
The knock-on effect of the gender waking imbalance extends into other areas of life and relationships. Over half of parents (55%) say sleep deprivation has affected their ability to work, with 64% worried about returning to work, and 57% worried about how ongoing exhaustion is impacting their career progression. 

Despite this, many are pushing themselves even harder to maintain their performance. Mothers returning to work feel heightened stress and self doubt, and subsequently hold themselves to exceptionally high standards, overcompensating to ensure they continue to deliver during what is already a physically and emotionally demanding period. Mothers describe feeling as though they are “surviving rather than performing”. The deprivation doesn’t just impact day-to-day productivity, but shapes how mothers see their long-term potential, limiting confidence in their career path.

Relationships are also being strained. More than half of parents (56%) said lack of sleep has negatively affected their relationship with a partner, with exhaustion fuelling irritability, emotional withdrawal and reduced communication. Fatigue can amplify tension, reduce empathy, and make communication harder, creating emotional distance in already demanding family routines. Sleep deprivation erodes patience and empathy - turning everyday interactions into emotional challenges. The result is fewer connections, more conflict, and a growing sense of isolation for many parents navigating exhaustion.

Lack of self-care, emotional regulation and low self esteem highlights the broad emotional and psychological strain from disrupted sleep.

Around 61% of respondents said sleep deprivation has affected their ability to care for themselves. This indicates that for most parents, exhaustion extends beyond parenting duties - influencing their own self-care, energy, and daily wellbeing. One mother quoted “struggling with motivation to get up and go. I just find myself in a vicious circle of tiredness and no energy, whilst another cited “Feeling constantly tired - even basic things like brushing my teeth or washing my hair feel impossible.” 

Among parents affected by sleep deprivation, the most common internal mental health challenges reported were difficulty controlling emotions and behaviour (68%), followed by low self-esteem (47%), lack of confidence (46%), and coping with change (45%).

The knock on effect is that almost half of the respondents (45%) stated they have experienced symptoms of postpartum anxiety and depression, and 36.4% of respondents claiming their sleep deprivation led to postpartum depression. 

These findings highlight the broad emotional and psychological strain linked to disrupted sleep. Anecdotally we uncovered through parent feedback that ‘other’ challenges arose as a side effect of being sleep deprived. Parents cited brain fog, low motivation, and physical symptoms such as autoimmune diseases flaring. 

Physical well being becomes an afterthought in sleep deprived parents.

Most parents said sleep loss affects their healthy eating (79%), exercise (70%), and personal hygiene (64%). Many described struggling to find time or energy for basic routines, often turning to convenience foods or skipping activity altogether. 

One mother quoted “Basic hygiene and proper meals feel like luxuries - everything takes too much effort”. Parents indicated that quick solutions like coffee, snacks and sugar were the crutch used to ‘get by’, rather than fueling bodies with nutritious food, showing that physical well-being is one of the first things to decline when parents face chronic sleep loss. Routine, energy and nutrition all take a back seat.

The turning point - when exhaustion leads to action

Although only a small number of parents sought professional help, those who did described reaching a breaking point. For most, hiring a sleep expert came after months or years of severe sleep disruption, emotional strain, and failed attempts to manage alone. Mental health, work demands, and family well-being were key motivators.

Parents who turn to sleep experts often do so out of sheer necessity - when exhaustion becomes unmanageable and begins to impact mental health, relationships, and work life. For most, it’s not a choice made lightly but a last resort born from desperation and burnout.

Whilst 55% of respondents had babies over 12 months old, parents found the early months are the toughest for sleep, when babies are between Newborn - 3 months (57%), followed by 4-6 months (19.5%). The early months are clearly the toughest - highlighting the intense adjustment period parents face and the need for support early on in the sleep journey.

Conclusion: Understanding Parental Sleep Deprivation

The research highlights the significant and often underestimated burden of sleep deprivation on parents. The findings show that frequent night wakings, long resettling times and disrupted sleep continue well beyond the newborn stage, impacting emotional well-being, daily functioning and family dynamics.

Parents reported heightened stress, reduced patience, strained relationships and loss of identity, demonstrating that sleep deprivation affects far more than rest - it shapes the entire parenting experience. Most navigate this alone, relying on intuition, informal support and trial-and-error, while professional sleep advice remains largely under-utilised.

By revealing the realities of tired parents - the fatigue, the resilience and the need for compassion - this study uncovers that with support, reassurance and education, helping parents feel seen, understood and better equipped during one of the most exhausting stages of family life will help improve key mental and physical health challenges in parenthood.

ergoPouch believes that when the night-waking parent is supported, the whole family can thrive and not just ‘survive’. In moving from insight to action, we have created a ‘Thrive Fund’ to provide families of children under five with access to the resources they need to navigate difficult sleep challenges, frequent overnight waking, and sleep deprivation.

The Sleep Deprivation ‘Thrive Fund’ has been established to support families in early childhood sleep.

Our brand was founded by sleep deprived mother Alina Sack in 2009. Alina experienced severe sleep deprivation with her first born, and after several attempts at trying to improve his sleep (including taking him to a sleep school, that he failed), she designed and created the first Pouch in an effort to try and reduce wakings, and get her baby (and herself) more sleep. Our founder’s experience drives our company mission - to enrich family life through sleep solutions. In light of the study outcomes, ergoPouch has committed a £10,000 Thrive Fund to help sleep-deprived parents access additional support in sleep during early childhood. 

In collaboration with Parenting Coach and Sleep Expert Heidi Skudder from Positively Parenthood, ergoPouch’s Thrive Fund will give 200 families immediate and FREE access to sleep support services in a range of methods that works for them.

By combining ergoPouch’s trusted sleepwear solutions with Positively Parenthood’s expert guidance, families are equipped with both the tools and knowledge they need to build healthy sleep foundations and feel confident in their parenting journey.

Find out more about the Thrive Fund, and how to apply, here.