Recently, Nanit brought together some of our research collaborators from all over the world for our annual Nanit Lab Symposium. The goal? To shed important light on the connections and revelations between health, wellness, and sleep—and help families get more quality ZZZs.
Two of these studies explored how sleep influences your relationship with your baby, studying the compelling connection between sleep and parental confidence. Read on to get our favorite tips and takeaways.
Bond Baby Bond
Who: Dr. Michal Kahn, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Topic: Do infant and parent sleep predict next-day parent mood and parent-infant bonding? An auto-videosomnography study
The Gist: Dr. Khan’s study explored how sleep (and lack of sleep) affects the relationship between parents and infants. The study included 844 parents of infants aged 4 to 18 months. Parents filled out sleep diaries reporting on three different Sundays. Infants’ sleep data was collected by Nanit monitors.
Top 3 Takeaways:
- We need sleep to function at our best. Sleep gives our bodies a chance to eliminate toxins, restore cells, and grow. Sleep also makes it easier for us to learn and regulate ourselves.
- When parents got a good night’s sleep (longer and with less wake-ups), it was easier for them to bond with their baby the next day.
- However, how well a baby slept didn’t seem to influence how well their parent bonded with them.
The Night Shift Effect
Who: Dr. Christine Ou + Caryn Dooner, University of Victoria, Canada
Topic: The Night Shift: Parental Role Division and Family Sleep
Gist: This study examined how nighttime parental duties are divided up between partners and what kinds of division of labor help families sleep better. Nanit helped to recruit couples living in Canada.
Top 3 Takeaways:
- Many moms in heterosexual couples report that they do the lion’s share of nighttime parenting duties—and feel lonely, exhausted, depressed, and angry as a result.
- Same sex couples are more egalitarian when it comes to the division of childcare.
- When dads pitch in, especially with bedtime routines and morning duties, the whole family sleeps better.
New Daily Mantra: I can lean on my support systems for help at night, so everyone can get the rest they need.
As a parent, it’s hard to ask for help. So, if you need a little motivation to wave that white surrender flag (at least for a minute or two), let science bolster your courage. Studies show that when everyone pitches in, everyone does better–you get better sleep and feel more connected, relaxed, and capable as a parent. That village is there for you for a reason…now go use it! (And take that catnap.)
