# Life stages: what the research actually says

How sleep changes with age and after having children — and which changes are normal rather than a problem to fix.



## All studies

- **Long-term effects of pregnancy and childbirth on sleep satisfaction and duration of first-time and experienced mothers and fathers** — Richter D, Krämer MD, Tang NKY, Montgomery-Downs HE, Lemola S (2019), Sleep 42(4):zsz015. Parents' sleep satisfaction and duration did not fully recover for up to 6 years after the first child, most markedly in mothers.

- **Trajectories of maternal sleep problems before and after childbirth: a longitudinal population-based study** — Sivertsen B, Hysing M, Dørheim SK, Eberhard-Gran M (2015), BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 15:129. Insomnia was common in late pregnancy and persisted at 2 years postpartum in a large share of mothers.

- **Meta-analysis of quantitative sleep parameters from childhood to old age in healthy individuals** — Ohayon MM, Carskadon MA, Guilleminault C, Vitiello MV (2004), Sleep 27(7):1255–1273. Total sleep time and deep sleep decline modestly across adulthood — some reduction with age is normal.

---
Educational summary of published research, not medical advice. Screening scores are not diagnoses. If a score is elevated or you feel unwell, talk to a clinician.

SleepShred for iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6802040541