Babies and parents are more well-rested when parents work from home, according to a new study. As such, those who worked from home found themselves less tired throughout the day which can be a positive impact on a parent's overall emotional well-being.
Researchers from Flinders University found that during the pandemic when parents were telecommuting, allowing babies to sleep longer in the morning without having to accommodate the parents' work schedule, both parents and babies got more sleep every night, according to Medical Xpress.
The study, which was published in the journal, Sleep Medicine, found that babies got on average, 40 minutes more sleep every night. And as a result of this extra sleep, coupled with not having to get up as early to get out the door in the morning, parents were more well-rested throughout the day.
According to the American Sleep Association, new parents who did not get enough sleep as a result of getting up with their infant during the night were found to have problems that affected their "mood, job performance, and overall health."
For those parents who feel the afternoon slump, they are likely to grab a beverage that has caffeine in it to help them through their workday. And while this may help in the short term, long term, it only perpetuates a lack of sleep. This is because caffeine can keep people awake longer during the night, when new parents especially, need to be getting as many z's as they possibly can.
As a result of the lack of sleep, according to the publication, parents can begin to feel symptoms of anxiety, depression, irritability, mood swings, and more.
Therefore, the more sleep new parents can squeeze into their day, the better off emotionally and physically they are.
Researchers reviewed sleep information from over 1,500 infants aged one to 18 months of age, according to the study. Using information collected from the Nanit baby monitor, which tracks sleep patterns of babies, from late 2019 through December 2020, along with questionnaires, researchers were able to determine how much sleep babies got nightly.
What they found, is that on average, babies were sleeping an extra 40 minutes every night. And according to parental responses on the questionnaires, they were feeling more rested as a result.
The study also looked at whether there was additional screen time given to this age group as a result of working at home. And while the extra sleep was a bonus, babies were on screens an additional 18 minutes per day.
What the additional screen time means at this juncture, researchers have yet to determine, according to AlphaGalileo.
The takeaway from this study is that because of the positive impact additional sleep has on both parents and babies alike, it may be worth employers exploring the use of telecommuting while still in the midst of the pandemic.
Though things may be getting better, COVID remains. And as such, extending the ability to work at home may only help to bolster employee morale and productivity, given that additional sleep aids on both those fronts.
Source: Medical Xpress, AlphaGalileo, Sleep Medicine, American Sleep Association