Getting a good night’s sleep can be a bit of a struggle for anyone once a child enters the house, but it seems that one demographic is suffering more than the others.
According to a new study carried out by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, single parents have the worst sleeping patterns and quality of sleep when compared to adults in two-parent families, or those with no children.
The study found that single mums and dads with children under 18 not only have more trouble falling asleep, but they also struggle to stay asleep and have shorter sleeping periods. According to the statistics, these parents are also less likely to feel well-rested after a night’s sleep, whatever the duration.
The statistics showed that single mums, in particular, have the worst sleep; 43.5% of single mums surveyed admitted to getting less than seven hours’ worth of sleep each night, compared to 31.2% of women in two-parent families.
Of those single dads surveyed, 37.5% admitted to getting less than seven hours of sleep on a nightly basis.
Commenting on the widespread significance of the survey results, a representative told the Huffington Post: “Our study contributes something by paying some attention to the health of single parents themselves…Given how important sleep is for health and wellbeing, it’s something we need to pay attention to."
