New mums and dads, don’t expect a good night sleep for a few years yet!

A study, tracking almost 5,000 parents found that even when children had reached school age, mums and dads were still suffering significantly worse sleep than before they entered parenthood, shares yahoo.

Over the first four to six years with their first child, women missed out on 41 minutes of sleep, while men sacrificed just 14 minutes a night.

That gap reduced over time with mothers sleeping 20 minutes less after six years, while fathers were still deprived of 15 minutes a night.

Researchers said the increased responsibilities of parenthood contributed to sleepless nights, long after the demands of night feeding and nappy changing had ended.

“While having children is a major source of joy for most parents it is possible that increased demands and responsibilities associated with the role as a parent lead to shorter sleep and decreased sleep quality even up to six years after birth of the first child,” said Lead researcher Dr Sakari Lemola.

When did you finally feel like you could sleep again after having kids?

Share your comments below