Parents of newborns get just four hours’ sleep

MOST parents of newborn babies are surviving on just under four hours’ sleep as their children wake at least three times every night, according to a survey on sleeping patterns.

Forty three per cent of new parents across the country admit to being “desperate for sleep” and half of them feel weepy and emotional on a regular basis.

One-in-five parents are bad tempered because of sleep deprivation while one in four said they are irritable with their partner. Others admit to being more forgetful and accident-prone.