Having Kids Means Less Sleep For Women, But Not For Men

Having Kids Means Less Sleep For Women, But Not For Men

Adil Ali   21 March

New parents often talk about the toll a newborn can take on their sleeping habits, but as it turns out, it may not be so bad—if you're a man, that is. If you're a woman, having kids can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule, according to a new study.

Researchers from the American Academy of Neurology and Georgia Southern University analyzed data from a survey that asked 5,805 Americans how much they slept each night and how often they felt tired over the past month. For every child a woman 45 and under had, she was 50 percent less likely to get six hours of sleep or more per night. Only 48 percent of moms in this age group got seven hours or more, compared to 62 percent of women without children. On average, women with kids felt tired for two weeks out of every month, compared to 11 days for those without kids. No such pattern existed for men.

These results don't really come as a surprise, since women in heterosexual relationships still do the majority of housework and are responsible for child care. But the study has huge implications, since sleep affects everything from your memory to your chances of getting sick. Plus, some research suggests women need more sleep than men.

“I think these findings may bolster those women who say they feel exhausted,” study author Kelly Sullivan, Ph.D., said in a press release (as if we needed data to prove that). “Getting enough sleep is a key component of overall health and can impact the heart, mind, and weight…. It’s important to learn what is keeping people from getting the rest they need so we can help them work toward better health.”

Courtesy: Glamour / Image Design: FreePik

Watching birds near your home is good for your mental health

Watching birds near your home is good for your mental health

Adil Ali   19 March

Watching birds near your home is good for your mental health

People living in neighbourhoods with more birds, shrubs and trees are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and stress, according to research by academics at the University of Exeter, the British Trust for Ornithology and the University of Queensland.

The study, involving hundreds of people, found benefits for mental health of being able to see birds, shrubs and trees around the home, whether people lived in urban or more leafy suburban neighbourhoods.

The study, which surveyed mental health in over 270 people from different ages, incomes and ethnicities, also found that those who spent less time out of doors than usual in the previous week were more likely to report they were anxious or depressed.

After conducting extensive surveys of the number of birds in the morning and afternoon in Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton, the study found that lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress were associated with the number of birds people could see in the afternoon. The academics studied afternoon bird numbers - which tend to be lower than birds generally seen in the morning – because they are more in keeping with the number of birds that people are likely to see in their neighbourhood on a daily basis.



In the study, common types of birds including blackbirds, robins, blue tits and crows were seen. But the study did not find a relationship between the species of birds and mental health, but rather the number of birds they could see from their windows, in the garden or in their neighbourhood.

Previous studies have found that the ability of most people to identify different species is low (eg Dallimer et al, 2012), suggesting that for most people it is interacting with birds, not just specific birds, that provides well-being.

University of Exeter research fellow Dr Daniel Cox, who led the study, said: "This study starts to unpick the role that some key components of nature play for our mental well-being".

Birds around the home, and nature in general, show great promise in preventative health care, making cities healthier, happier places to live".

The positive association between birds, shrubs and trees and better mental health applied, even after controlling for variation in neighbourhood deprivation, household income, age and a wide range of other socio-demographic factors.

Recent research by Dr Cox and Professor Kevin Gaston, who are based at the Environmental Sustainability Institute at the Penryn Campus at the University of Exeter, found that watching birds makes people feel relaxed and connected to nature (Cox and Gaston, 2016).

The research is published in the journal Bioscience and was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council as conducted as part of the Fragments, Functions, Flows and Ecosystem Services project.

Courtesy: Exeter UK 

Photograph: FreePik