First-time parents interviewed after the arrival of their babies talked about how their wellbeing was strongly affected by sleep loss and anxiety. They think antenatal education needs to do a better job on how to cope with a newborn\u2019s sleep pattern.<\/p>\n
Feelings of shame among new parents about struggling while everybody else seems to manage was a common reason for not seeking support. Or they were too tired to go looking. <\/p>\n
The DCU Restful Nights, Happy Days project focuses on how sleep loss and post-partum fatigue is one of the biggest challenges in new parenthood<\/a>. Depression, anxiety, stress, poor mood, as well as less effective parenting, are strongly linked with the severity of exhaustion. Mothers, fathers and babies can all suffer.<\/p>\n The study, headed by Dr Anna Donnla O\u2019Hagan, <\/b>assistant professor in DCU\u2019s school of health and human performance, has used feedback from interviewing first-time parents and relevant health professionals to design a workshop about positive sleep health and wellbeing practices for expectant mothers and fathers. It is now seeking participants for the pilot phase.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Tips for new parents to improve wellbeing and reduce tirednessOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n A PhD in psychology qualifies Leech to be a postdoctoral researcher on the project, but being the mother of three young children, now aged six, five and three, gives her additional insight. \u201cMy sleep experiences were different with all of them. But now, in hindsight, all within the typical, normal spectrum of what infant sleep can look like.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is absolutely normal for infants to wake every three hours for weeks and weeks and weeks …\u201d she says. Pay no heed to chatter about how other people\u2019s babies sleep through the night.<\/p>\n \u201cSleeping through the night\u201d is such a vague phrase. What do parents mean when they say their baby is sleeping through the night? Is it seven to seven? Midnight to five? <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so ambiguous. And, oh my God, that impacted me so much with my first, because she was awake every three to four hours until …\u201d Well, she still wakes. But for the first year, Leech thought there must be something wrong with her daughter, or her, or both. \u201cThere was nothing [wrong]. That was just her sleep pattern, which was totally developmentally appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n Sleepless nights are a harsh lesson in how parents\u2019 lives have to adapt to their baby\u2019s needs, rather than the new arrival slotting into theirs. \u201cAdjust your expectations of what this could be and go with the baby\u2019s flow. It is what it is. Don\u2019t fight a fight you don\u2019t need to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Wellbeing concerns tend to be focused on the mother, who is recovering from pregnancy and birth and is inevitably most enmeshed with the newborn. However, new fathers often suffer similar levels of sleep deprivation, with comparable effects.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s not generally talked about, and it\u2019s not supported in the same way,\u201d says Leech. \u201cBoth parents are transitioning into this new phase of their life of parenthood and having similar experiences. But society addresses those very differently.\u201d<\/p>\n Fathers are entitled to two weeks of paid paternity leave, which they can take within the first six months of a child\u2019s birth. More than half, 55 per cent, now avail of paternity benefit, according to a recently published CSO<\/a> review.<\/p>\n [\u00a0\u2018Sharenting\u2019 is riskier than ever but that probably won\u2019t stop usOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Experiences of parents interviewed for the DCU research varied between fathers taking no paternity leave to at least one having several months off. The study found that extended paternity leave supported maternal wellbeing and improved shared sleep opportunities, while limited leave reinforced mothers\u2019 primary caregiving role and increased fatigue. <\/p>\n Leech believes it is vital new fathers spend time engaging in the \u201cnewborn bubble\u201d, alongside their partners. \u201cIt\u2019s really important that they\u2019re there to support each other through it and for time of bonding.\u201d<\/p>\n Some report feeling rather useless in that immediate post-partum period. \u201cThey are a bit lost as well, and there\u2019s not much guidance out there for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Some fathers who took two weeks\u2019 leave said they were not prepared for the impact of the continuing sleep disturbance after returning to the workplace.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the question of how parents choose to feed their baby and the effect that might have on sleep is a touchy subject. \u201cResearch supports the idea that mothers who exclusively breastfeed sleep, get more sleep and better quality sleep. But that\u2019s not what people would expect,\u201d Leech acknowledges. The believed explanation is that a breastfeeding mother does not have to get out of bed to feed if she has the baby in a Moses basket or bassinet beside her, whereas preparing a bottle is more disruptive.<\/p>\n One or both of a couple can sign up for piloting of the workshop, which is offered between 28 and 35 weeks of pregnancy. They will then be asked to complete questionnaires at four weeks post-partum and again at 12 weeks, along with a follow-up Zoom check-in with Leech both times. She will ask about sleep experiences; how helpful the suggested strategies have been and for any changes they would recommend for the workshop. (Expectant parents interested in participating can make contact through @restful.nights.happy.days<\/a> on Instagram.)<\/p>\n As it is a randomised, controlled trial, some participants will be assigned to receive the workshop around three months after the baby arrives, rather than before. But they will be asked to complete questionnaires about their experiences at four and 12 weeks. The workshop is live, but a recording will be available to participants, who will also be directed to other relevant resources.<\/p>\n The project is funded jointly by Health Research Charities Ireland and the Health Research Board. If it shows the workshop is useful and effective at improving parental sleep quality, the DCU team hopes there will be more funding to roll out the workshop nationally. The evaluation will look at perceived sleep quality, says Leech, as there will be no physiological measurements.<\/p>\n While it is still early days, she adds, \u201call of the feedback we\u2019re getting from anybody we speak to is that this is so badly needed and so badly wanted\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"First-time](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AGRCQBZOBRFPXBVB3HUF2INB2Y.jpg\")
First-time parents interviewed after the arrival of their babies talked about how their wellbeing was strongly affected by sleep loss and anxiety. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n