Co-Founder & Chief Parenting Officer Former Chief Technologist, Good Housekeeping
Medically Reviewed By
Meidad Greenberg, M.D.
Board-Certified Pediatrician
Key Findings
0%
getting <6 hours of sleep
0%
feel exhausted or drained
0%
of babies wake 3+ times at 7–9 months
0%
of babies fall asleep independently
4 in 5 parents in our survey are running on less than six hours of sleep a night. This isn’t a phase. For most families, it’s the baseline.
The 7–9 Month Peak Nobody Warns You About
Everyone talks about the 4-month regression. But our data shows the real peak in night waking happens at 7–9 months, when 68% of babies wake 3 or more times a night. That’s higher than any other age.
0–3 months: 49.3% wake 3+ times per night (n=5,398)
4–6 months: 66.0% wake 3+ times per night (n=9,619)
7–9 months: 68.1% wake 3+ times per night (n=7,161)
10–12 months: 60.3% wake 3+ times per night (n=3,860)
13–18 months: 53.2% wake 3+ times per night (n=2,795)
19–24 months: 40.7% wake 3+ times per night (n=900)
2–6 years: 30.9% wake 3+ times per night (n=760)
Baby age → % waking 3+ times per night
When Baby Goes to Bed
Reported bedtimes across the full sample
7:00–7:59 PM: 39.0%
8:00–8:59 PM: 23.1%
After 9 PM: 16.7%
6:00–6:59 PM: 13.2%
Varies: 6.9%
Before 6 PM: 1.2%
Nearly 40% of babies aren’t asleep until after 8pm. Among newborns (0–3 months), 30% still have bedtimes after 9pm — a reminder that consolidated infant schedules don’t usually arrive until later in the first year.
The Naps Reality Check
Nap patterns shift dramatically as babies grow. Here’s what the data shows at each age.
36%
of 0–3mo take 4+ naps
Newborn naps are unpredictable
55%
of 4–6mo settle into 3 naps
A daytime rhythm emerges
65%
of 7–11mo are on 2 naps
The 3-to-2 transition
65%
of 12–23mo are on 1 nap
Afternoon-only territory
63%
of 2y+ still nap once
24% have dropped naps entirely
Half of babies under 7 months take short naps (under 60 min). After 7 months, longer consolidated naps become the norm — but only if sleep pressure and rhythm are in sync.
How Are Parents Really Feeling?
47.2%
Exhausted
34.7%
Drained
17.4%
Okay
0.7%
Energized
Less than 1% of parents in our survey described themselves as “energized.” The vast majority — 82% — are running on empty.
The Emotional Load
Share of parents who feel each of these “often”
Low energy: 72.1% feel this often
Depleted: 64.2% feel this often
Overwhelmed: 61.6% feel this often
Phone as escape: 56.2% use this often
Stressed / anxious: 55.9% feel this often
Guilt: 53.0% feel this often
68% of parents report “often” for at least 3 of these 6 burdens. Sleep deprivation doesn’t just make you tired — it saturates every corner of daily life.
The #1 Goal: Fewer Night Wakeups
What parents told us they want most
Reduce night wakeups: 85.6% of parents
End bedtime battles: 41.2%
Predictable routine: 40.3%
Improve naps: 38.5%
Stop early waking: 29.1%
Night waking dominated parents’ concerns by a wide margin — more than twice as many parents cited it as their top goal compared with bedtime battles or nap issues.
How Are Babies Actually Falling Asleep?
Methods parents use to settle their baby
Feeding: 62.8% of babies
Rocking: 59.5%
Sitting nearby: 42.3%
Singing: 32.5%
It depends: 19.0%
Falls asleep alone: 9.5%
Fewer than 1 in 10 babies in our survey fall asleep on their own. Independent sleep isn’t the norm — it’s the exception.
The Ripple Effect of Sleep Deprivation
Areas of life parents say are most affected
Mood & patience: 74.8% affected
Self-care: 69.6%
Partner/family: 68.6%
Physical health: 48.1%
Enjoyment of life: 32.9%
Work focus: 27.3%
Friendships & social life: 21.3%
Nearly three-quarters of parents say sleep deprivation has affected their mood and patience — making it the single most impacted area of daily life, ahead of even self-care and partner relationships.
What Sleep Deprivation Looks Like Day to Day
Behaviors parents report experiencing regularly
Feeling distant from partner: 70.5% of parents
Struggling with daily tasks: 66.3%
Skipping things they enjoy: 56.4%
Eating cold meals: 39.5%
Cancelling plans: 31.3%
More parents report feeling distant from their partner than any other daily behavior — suggesting that sleep deprivation doesn’t just affect the individual, it quietly erodes the relationship that holds the family together.
Who has it hardest
Not All Parents Are in the Same Boat
Same overall exhaustion, two very different lived experiences. Where the divergence is biggest:
Single parents feel depleted at a 9-point higher rate
Single parents
73%
feel depleted often
Partnered parents
64%
feel depleted often
Based on 4,059 single parents vs 47,122 partnered parents.
A surprise: working full-time parents’ babies wake less
Working full-time
49%
of babies wake 3+ times
Home full-time
63%
of babies wake 3+ times
Likely not an effect of work itself, but a proxy. Babies of working parents skew older on average (past the 4–7mo peak-waking phase), and those families often have structured daycare schedules that reinforce a consolidated night.
From 18,587 written responses
What Parents Told Us In Their Own Words
Beyond the multiple-choice answers, one in three parents wrote additional context about their situation. Here’s what emerged.
The Co-Sleeping Reality: Survival, Not Strategy
2 in 5 parents who shared additional context mentioned co-sleeping – and the overwhelming pattern wasn’t planned co-sleeping. It was desperation. Parents described falling into bed-sharing after months of failed attempts to get their baby to sleep independently.
40%
mention co-sleeping
of parents who wrote in
68%
of co-sleepers’ babies wake 3+ times
vs 56% for others
70%
are running on <6 hours of sleep
and describe themselves as exhausted or drained
What parents are saying
“We end up co-sleeping after the first 2–3 night wakings. I never planned this.”
“Co-sleeping but wish we weren’t. Waking 7–12 times a night. Comfort feeding.”
“We co-sleep out of desperation. I never get a sleep.”
“She starts in her room then walks into ours at 2am. When I’m too tired, we just co-sleep.”
The Reflux Surprise
15% of parents mentioned reflux in their written responses — making it the third most common theme after co-sleeping and contact naps. But here’s what surprised us: babies with reflux don’t actually wake more than other babies.
Babies with reflux
57%
wake 3+ times per night
Babies without reflux
58%
wake 3+ times per night
This challenges the common assumption that reflux is the root cause of night waking. While reflux is real and uncomfortable, the data suggests that frequent waking is near-universal across this age group — reflux or not. Parents of reflux babies may be attributing normal developmental waking to their child’s reflux.
The Contact Nap Cycle
25% of parents who wrote in mentioned contact napping — holding their baby for the entire duration of every nap. It’s often described alongside co-sleeping as part of a broader pattern of around-the-clock physical dependency.
62%
of contact nappers’ babies nap under 60 min
vs 57% for others
12%
report both co-sleeping AND contact naps
around-the-clock holding
What parents are saying
“Contact naps only. Currently cosleeping a lot.”
“Naps the best when contact napping. Won’t go down in her crib.”
“She loves contact naps and falling asleep on me. I can’t put her down without her waking instantly.”
“Mix of contact naps, pram naps, cot naps during the day. Our toddler is also in my care so sometimes naps are impacted.”
Proof it changes
Parents Who Found Their Way Through
Real Betteroo parents who recognized themselves in the data above — and made changes that stuck.
“I was co-sleeping, feeding to sleep, and waking 5–10 times a night. Within weeks, my baby slept 5.5 hours without a feed.”
— Alex
“Naps went from averaging 59 minutes to over 90. Night wake-ups dropped from 5 out of 8 nights to just 1.”
— Lauren
“Three weeks in, night wake-ups dropped from 7+ to 2–3 — and one night, zero. Naps nearly doubled.”
— Aateqah
“We slept through the night 3 days in a row. My daughter went from needing me for every bedtime to letting Dad do it.”
— Megan
If this data feels familiar, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Every baby is different — and so is the solution.
Get a personalized sleep plan for you and your baby
Search for your country, state, or city — or click a country on the map — to see how local parents compare to the global average.
Local value Global avg+higher−lower
Click a country on the map or search above to see how your area compares. Data available for 47 countries, 217 regions, and 196 cities.
All Statistics at a Glance
Sample: 52,642 parents of children aged 0–6 years, surveyed July 2025 – April 2026 across 107 countries (US 20,884; UK 11,221; Australia 7,951; Canada 3,286; New Zealand 758; Germany 695; Italy 573; Netherlands 525; Spain 466; Singapore 455).
Parent sleep & wellbeing: 79% sleep less than 6 hours per night. 82% feel exhausted or drained. 72% report low energy “often”, 64% feel depleted “often”, 62% overwhelmed “often”, 56% use phone as escape “often”, 56% stressed/anxious “often”, 53% guilty “often”. 68% report “often” on 3 or more of these six wellbeing scales.
Baby night waking by age (% who wake 3+ times per night): 0–3 months 49.3% (n=5,398); 4–6 months 66.0% (n=9,619); 7–9 months 68.1% (n=7,161, the peak); 10–12 months 60.3% (n=3,860); 13–18 months 53.2% (n=2,795); 19–24 months 40.7% (n=900); 2–6 years 30.9% (n=760).
Bedtime distribution: 7:00–7:59pm 39.0%; 8:00–8:59pm 23.1%; after 9pm 16.7%; 6:00–6:59pm 13.2%; varies 6.9%; before 6pm 1.2%. Among 0–3 month olds, 30% have bedtimes after 9pm.
Time to fall asleep: 30–59 min 25.0%; 10–19 min 20.9%; 20–29 min 17.8%; not sure 13.8%; over 60 min 12.4%; less than 10 min 10.2%.
Naps by age: 36% of 0–3 month olds take 4+ naps. 55% of 4–6 month olds settle into 3 naps. 65% of 7–11 month olds are on 2 naps. 65% of 12–23 month olds are on 1 nap. 63% of 2y+ still nap once; 24% have dropped naps entirely.
Sleep goals (multi-select): Reduce night wakeups 86%; end bedtime battles 41%; predictable routine 40%; improve naps 39%; stop early waking 29%.
How babies fall asleep (multi-select): Feeding 63%; rocking 60%; sitting nearby 42%; singing 33%; it depends 19%; falls asleep alone 10%.
Life areas affected by sleep deprivation (multi-select): Mood & patience 75%; self-care 70%; partner/family 69%; physical health 48%; enjoyment of life 33%; work focus 27%; friendships & social life 21%.
Day-to-day behaviors (multi-select): Feeling distant from partner 71%; struggling with daily tasks 66%; skipping things they enjoy 56%; eating cold meals 40%; cancelling plans 31%.
Free-text themes (from 18,587 written responses, 35% of all completers): Co-sleeping mentioned by 40%; contact napping by 25%; reflux by 15%. 70% of co-sleepers are exhausted or drained AND sleep less than 6 hours. 12% of those who wrote in mention both co-sleeping and contact naps. Babies with vs without reflux wake 3+ times at 57% vs 58% (no meaningful difference, challenging the assumption that reflux is the main driver of night waking).
Segment differences: Single parents feel depleted “often” at 73% vs 64% for partnered parents (n=4,059 vs 47,122). Working full-time parents’ babies wake 3+ times less often than home full-time parents (49% vs 63%, n=8,394 vs 31,574) — likely because their babies skew older and have more structured daycare routines.
Geographic coverage: 47 countries with sample of 30+ responses. 217 regions and 196 cities meet the same threshold. Top cities by sample: Sydney (2,854); London (1,906); Melbourne (1,667); Brisbane (1,186); New York (909); Perth (857); Chicago (780); Dallas (653); Adelaide (579); Toronto (554).
All percentages cite Betteroo State of Parent & Baby Sleep 2026 (n=52,642). Citations: please link to https://betteroo.ai/state-of-baby-sleep/
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States","n":11906,"pct_under6hrs":78.2,"pct_exhausted":82.2,"pct_3plus_wakeups":57.2,"pct_depleted":64.2,"pct_guilty":51.6,"pct_distant_partner":69.1},"ZA":{"name":"South Africa","n":32,"pct_under6hrs":84.4,"pct_exhausted":78.1,"pct_3plus_wakeups":75.0,"pct_depleted":34.4,"pct_guilty":21.9,"pct_distant_partner":87.5}},"_note":"Region and city breakdowns available in the interactive map. Full dataset: 155 regions and 124 cities."}
Key Findings: The State of Parent and Baby Sleep 2026
Based on 32,058 parents surveyed across 97 countries.
78.6% of parents are getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night.
81.9% of parents feel exhausted or drained.
69.2% of babies wake 3 or more times per night at 7 to 9 months, the peak age.
Only 9.4% of babies fall asleep independently.
Percentage of Babies Waking 3+ Times per Night, by Age
Mood and patience: 73.6%. Self-care: 68.1%. Partner and family: 66.7%. Physical health: 47.9%. Enjoyment of life: 32.1%. Work focus: 27.3%. Friendships and social life: 20.9%.
What Sleep Deprivation Looks Like Day to Day
Feeling distant from partner: 68.8%. Struggling with daily tasks: 64.8%. Skipping things they enjoy: 54.9%. Eating cold meals: 39.4%. Cancelling plans: 30.7%.
Co-Sleeping: Survival, Not Strategy
From 10,654 written responses: 54% mention co-sleeping. 68% of co-sleepers babies wake 3+ times (vs 57% for others). 40% describe it as unplanned, falling into it from exhaustion.
The Reflux Surprise
14% mentioned reflux. Babies with reflux: 56% wake 3+ times. Babies without reflux: 59% wake 3+ times. Reflux babies do not actually wake more often.
The Contact Nap Cycle
22% mentioned contact napping. 62% of contact nappers babies nap under 60 minutes (vs 56% for others). 10% report both co-sleeping and contact naps.
Exhaustion Rates by Country
Parent exhaustion and sleep data across 33 countries from the Betteroo 2026 Sleep Report
