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This won’t surprise many of us: mothers get no sleep. Furthermore, working mothers are two and a half times as likely as their counterpart, the working father, to wake up, get up and care for others in the night.

A University of Michigan kindly points out what many of us have known for years: there is gender disparity in sleep patterns. Not only do women get up more, they stay up longer: 44 minutes compared to 30 for men.

“Interrupted sleep is a burden borne disproportionately by women,” said sociologist Sarah Burgard. “And this burden may not only affect the health and well-being of women, but also contribute to continuing gender inequality in earnings and career advancement.” Sing it sister!

The top career making years coincide in the most cruel way with a woman’s most desirable years to start a family, the late twenties into thirties. Among dual career couples, 32 percent of the moms are bugged at night versus 11 percent of men.

“What is really surprising,” Burgard continued, “is that gender differences in night-time care-giving remain even after adjusting for the employment status, income and education levels of each parent. Among parents of infants who are the sole breadwinner in a couple, for example, 28 percent of women who are the sole breadwinner report getting up at night to take care of their children, compared to just 4 percent of men who are the only earner in the couple.”

I think it’s interesting there is nothing said here about breastfeeding. Let’s lay the blame where it belongs, on the boobs. Burgard suggested, “For parents of young children, the best approach might be discussions and negotiations about whose turn it is to get up with the baby tonight.” Until men grow a pair, I don’t think there’s much to negotiate.

Source: University of Michigan, MedicalNewsToday