Nearly 1 in 5 Canadian Parents are Losing Sleep Over the Stress of Parenting

We’re less than two weeks out from the semi-annual daylight savings shift. In honour of Daylight Savings, Owlet Baby Care released eye-opening information on the state of shuteye–or lack thereof–among Canadians. The survey of over 1,500 Canadians revealed surprising data on everything from what parents would be willing to give up for a good night’s sleep to who’s sleeping in and how much time it really takes to get the kids in bed at night.

When asked about what they’d give up to have a good night’s sleep, Canadians were most willing to give up chocolate and their phones. Time alone with a significant other is precious for parents with kids under the age of five, with 12% saying they’d give up money before giving up a romantic evening with their partner.

The sleep survey also found:

●        Nearly half (47%) of Canadian parents with kids under the age of five say it takes up to 2 hours to get through their bedtime routine.

●        Parenting stress keeps 19% of all parents awake at night, no matter the age of their children.

●        Canadian parents with children under five are turning to tech to help them get to sleep, with 19% using a noise machine and 18% listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and music.

●        8 a.m. is considered “sleeping in” for nearly a third (29%) of Canadians with kids under five.

“For parents and babies alike, sleep is one of the most important parts of our day,” said Maggie Bettinson, Owlet’s General Manager of Canada and a mom to two children. Establishing a healthy sleep routine is essential for newborns to have restful nights of sleep, and for adults, a sleep routine can play a large role in how productive their day is going to be.”

Why sleep is important?

Now we have a better idea of what most parents want, but why is it so important? Countless other studies have shown that quality sleep is great for you, for so many reasons including the following:

Eat better = Weigh Less

Poor sleep will have moms, in particular, looking for more snacks as your brain tells you that you’re still hungry, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. To make it worse, it also causes you to ignore signals that you’re full. To stop this cycle, you need more time in bed.

You Sleep = Your Kids Sleep

You try to set a good example for your kids in so many ways, so why not this one? Teaching kids the discipline of going to bed on time – and staying there – will set them on a good path. As a bonus, you can crash earlier and be interrupted less often by night-time visits.

Quality rest = Better Health

There are countless reasons why your body needs some solid shut-eye: it lowers your stress, makes you more focused, lowers your blood pressure, and makes you more productive. Best of all, it puts you in a better mood, which leads to better relationships with the people around you. It also allows your body to recover physically from the strains of the day.

Snoozing = sharper memory and reflexes

While you acquire memories while awake, the filing system in your head works while your in bed – putting things in order so you can find them later. If you have a busy household, that can really help you track down that toy that was left in an odd place or recall what you promised to bring to that potluck.

Restorative rest also develops your muscle memory so you’ll be quicker to catch falling sippy cups or intervene to prevent a tumble by your toddler. Without those messes, you can have more time to enjoy your days.

Sleep well = Live longer 

A study of 21,000 twins, and their sleeping habits as adults, showed that sleeping soundly for more than seven hours each night lowered their risk of death by 24 percent. Taking medication to sleep – which signaled troubled natural sleep – increased the risk of early death by 33 percent.

This study isolated sleep from other factors since the twins grew up in the same environment and had similar genetic makeups. It also proved that if you sleep more than eight hours per night on average, your risk of death is 17 percent higher.

Good sleep not only extends your life, but it also gives you more energy to enjoy it and makes you look younger.

I think the reasons above are more than enough to make sure you are ready for the time-change and keep those bedtime habits in check!