Mattress Firm Releases Second Annual “Sleep Uncovered” Report Revealing the Sleep Dynamics of Parents with Toddlers and Elementary-School-Aged Kids

The Study was Conducted in Partnership with SleepScore Labs and Sheds Light on the Numerous Factors Influencing Parents’ Poor Sleep

(HOUSTON, TX) May 11 — Mattress Firm, the nation’s largest mattress specialty retailer, today announced the results of their second annual sleep study called Sleep Uncovered: How Parents Sleep. In collaboration with SleepScore Labs™, the company behind a comprehensive suite of evidence-based sleep solutions, the report uncovers notable differences in sleep duration, sleep quality and mental health between parents and nonparents to spotlight the effects of parenting on sleep.

SleepScore Labs analyzed sleep data from 1,047 U.S. parents with a child between the ages of 1 and 12 living at home, as well as 368 nonparents over four weeks in early 2023. The results paint a complex picture of parents’ sleep: Parents self-reported more minutes of sleep on average than nonparents, yet the majority of parents report they’re sleeping worse now than before having kids. Furthermore, 61 percent of parents surveyed agreed that their sleep was better before having children. The good news is there are many ways to implement tools and strategies to address parents’ sleep challenges.

“Our second annual Sleep Uncovered report offers valuable insights into parents’ relationship with rest and provides expert advice for sleeping better as a parent,” said John Eck, President and CEO, Mattress Firm. “We strongly believe that with science, technology and reliable health guidance, parents everywhere can get the high-quality sleep they need and deserve.”

Many people would guess that parents have worse sleep than they did before having kids, but little research had been done on how children’s age affects parents’ sleep beyond the first year. The Sleep Uncovered study reveals that parents with older kids report the worst sleep compared to parents with younger kids.

Parents whose youngest child was between the ages of 6 to 12 reported 50 minutes less sleep per night than parents with a youngest child between the ages of 1 and 5. They also took 30 minutes longer to fall asleep at bedtime, spent 30 minutes more time awake at night, and took less frequent naps than parents with younger kids.

“The data reveals an in-depth view into parents physical, mental and emotional stressors in relation to sleep. We can then use that data to help parents create healthier habits,” said Colin Lawlor, CEO, SleepScore Labs. “When parents feel their best, the benefits extend through families and entire communities.”

Numerous factors worsened parents’ sleep, including having two or more kids, being an older parent with young children, and being a single parent. According to the survey, parents with multiple kids were more likely to agree that their sleep was better before having children. In the survey, 68 percent of parents with three kids agreed with the statement, compared with 54 percent of parents with two kids and 39 percent of parents with one child.

Being an older parent with young children – defined as parents 45 or older with children under the age of five – also resulted in less sleep: That demographic reported 37 less minutes of sleep per night than other parents. About 70 percent said getting a good night’s sleep was important, compared with 40 percent of other parents.

Single parents self-reported 52 minutes less sleep per night than coupled parents. They also reported taking 51 minutes to fall asleep, which is about 16 minutes longer than coupled parents. Single parents were less likely to nap and more likely to feel tired.

The full report is available for free download on MattressFirm.com. To learn more about Mattress Firm’s commitment to improving lives through better sleep, visit MattressFirm.com or Sleep.com.