Do you worry about your children at night due to sleep issues that plague their nightly rest? If you do, you might have parental sleep anxiety. This is a condition that is characterized by fear of your child’s sleep issues that can cause stress, poor sleep, and more. It’s normal for you to be worried about your child’s health, but it’s also essential that you get better sleep to help them with their sleep challenges and to take care of your health.
If you struggle with this, you’re not alone. We’ll explore more about parental sleep anxiety, its effects, what causes it, and how you can manage these nighttime worries so you can continue to sleep well and help protect your children, too. If you’re ready to get started, let’s first explore this condition in more depth.
What is Parental Sleep Anxiety?
If you have never heard of it before, that’s okay! Parental sleep anxiety is a parent’s fear of their child’s sleep condition. Children can have a number of sleep disorders ranging from restless leg syndrome to insomnia to parasomnias that keep them up at night. Unfortunately, no matter how much you may worry, their condition will still be present.
For those who suspect they may have parental sleep anxiety, common symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings, racing thoughts at night, and a sense of overwhelm. If this sounds like you, then you likely are experiencing this condition!
The Effects of Sleep Anxiety on Parents and Family
There are numerous ways that your potential parental sleep anxiety can affect not only yourself and your spouse but also your family. Physically, you can expect that those who struggle with this form of anxiety will not get as much sleep as they usually would and should. And, as expected, losing sleep can lead to a whole host of challenges, such as increased sleepiness, more mental health concerns, and even long-term impacts on your cardiovascular system, for example.
However, if we look at just mental health, the impact of parental sleep anxiety affects everyone in the home. If a child suffers from sleep disturbances, the mother is more likely to experience increased stress, regardless of the age of the child (Source: Nature and Science of Sleep). As a parent, you may also experience more fear and anxiety due to alterations in your child’s sleep schedule and lack of sleep in the long term.
As you can imagine, when you combine the physical and mental health impacts of parental sleep anxiety, you get a host of concerns that impact parents but also parallel effects on your children. Much like your sleep is mediated by your child’s sleep, so, too, is your child’s. In fact, one in four children experiences anxiety or worries that keep them up at night.
In other words, how your child sleeps dictates how you sleep and how you feel, and then your mood and energy levels also impact your health. This bidirectional relationship can make it hard for your family to stay healthy, but by understanding the causes of parental sleep anxiety, you can take steps to ensure you and your kids get better rest.
Common Causes of Parental Sleep Anxiety
There are many explanations as to why parental sleep anxiety happens, but most of them relate to life changes and other challenges you face for the first time. Here are some of the common reasons you might have developed parental sleep anxiety:
- New Parenthood: You’re a new mother or father, but having a new baby also brings its own host of concerns! You’re likely to be worried about your infant’s sleep, well-being, and overall health, which can lead to parental sleep anxiety. Because new mothers will prioritize the infant over themselves, they may get less sleep, leading to more stress and worries over their new baby.
- Overloaded Schedules: If you’re trying to balance work, parenting, and household responsibilities, it’s no wonder you have parental sleep anxiety! These everyday life concerns can add up and make you more stressed, but if you find ways to cope, such as using mindfulness therapies, you can take steps to reduce the stress in your life.
- Unresolved Past Issues or External Stressors: Like many anxiety and depressive disorders, there is a chance that your parental sleep anxiety may be rooted in something more profound. If you have unresolved trauma or personal, external issues in your life that are affecting your mental health, it might be worth exploring these to see if they could be the cause of your parental sleep anxiety.
- Perfectionism: Simply put, you may be putting too much stress on yourself as a mother or father. It’s normal to feel worried and anxious about your child’s health, but don’t make yourself feel bad for being an imperfect parent, especially if it is your first child. Perfectionism is excellent for detailed work and projects, but when it comes to your children and their sleep health, focus on supporting them, not how perfect your support is.
Final Tips and Advice to Manage Parental Sleep Anxiety
If you think you struggle with parental sleep anxiety, you’re not alone, but there are steps you can take to manage your concerns. First, stick to a consistent schedule for sleep for your whole family. This can help you get enough rest. Additionally, implement some relaxation techniques if you feel stressed out. It can be as easy as a warm bath, reading, or meditation. For those who feel too overwhelmed, you can always seek professional help or find a support group where parents like you share their concerns. Finding others who face your challenges can help you see how normal they are while also exposing you to some new solutions to manage your worries.
You Can Manage Parental Sleep Anxiety and Get Adequate Rest
By dealing with your stressors and recognizing why you feel so anxious, you can get adequate rest and be present for your child without guilt. We hope that this article taught you something new and showed you that you’re not alone! If you have parental sleep anxiety, how will you manage your worries so you get better rest for yourself and your family?
