Caregiver Insomnia Is a Growing Health Crisis - And Mothers Are Bearing the Brunt

If you’re a parent who wakes up every night—sometimes for your child, sometimes for no clear reason—you’re not alone. And according to new research, what you’re experiencing may be more serious than simple sleep deprivation.

A large caregiver sleep study presented at Sleep 2025 and World Sleep 2025 found that 70% of caregivers wake at least once every night, compared with just 40% of adults without caregiving responsibilities. The burden is especially heavy for mothers, who spend 50% more time awake overnight than fathers.

The findings were later reported by national news outlets, including USA Today, highlighting growing concern among sleep researchers and public health experts.

This research points to a widespread—and underrecognized—caregiver insomnia crisis with implications that extend far beyond feeling tired.

The Scale of the Problem: What the Data Shows

The study followed 983 adults over 12 weeks, including parents and caregivers of young children. Researchers used daily sleep diaries, wearable sleep trackers, and validated clinical assessments to measure sleep quality, stress, mood, and health outcomes.

The results were striking:

• 70% of caregivers woke at least once per night (vs. 40% of non-caregivers)
• Female caregivers averaged 45 minutes awake during the night, compared to 30 minutes for male caregivers
• Only 39% of caregivers maintained consistent bedtimes, versus 61% of non-caregivers
• 78% reported high stress and racing thoughts that interfered with sleep

These are not short-term disruptions. Together, they form the classic profile of chronic insomnia.

Why Caregivers Struggle to Sleep

Caregiver insomnia rarely has a single cause. Instead, researchers identified several overlapping factors that reinforce each other over time.

Nighttime Awakenings Train the Brain to Stay Alert

When caregivers respond to infants or children at night, the brain learns to remain vigilant—even when no one is waking up. Over time, sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented.

Stress and Mental Load Prevent Sleep Onset

Nearly 8 in 10 caregivers reported racing thoughts before bed. This cognitive hyperarousal is a hallmark of insomnia, not just stress.

Irregular Schedules Disrupt Circadian Rhythm

Inconsistent bedtimes and wake times—common among parents—confuse the body’s internal clock, making sleep harder to initiate and maintain.

Mothers Carry a Disproportionate Burden

Women experienced longer nighttime awakenings, more stress-driven sleep disruption, and greater difficulty maintaining routines—reflecting both biological stress responses and unequal caregiving demands.

The Health Consequences Go Beyond Feeling Tired

Chronic sleep loss isn’t just exhausting—it’s biologically disruptive. Among caregivers in the study:

• 85% reported persistent daytime fatigue
• 62% experienced mood disturbances, including anxiety and depressive symptoms
• 45% reported weight gain, a known risk factor for metabolic disorders
• Researchers observed elevated markers associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes

“These patterns point to sleep deprivation as a serious health risk for caregivers, not just a quality-of-life issue,” the researchers noted.

The Parent–Child Sleep Cycle

One of the most important findings was how strongly parent and child sleep problems are linked.

When parents sleep poorly, children are more likely to experience disrupted sleep. And when children wake at night, caregivers lose even more rest. Without intervention, this bidirectional sleep disruption can persist for years.

Improving caregiver sleep, researchers suggest, may be one of the most effective ways to improve sleep health for the entire family.

Why Mothers Are Hit Hardest by Insomnia

The gender gap in sleep outcomes was consistent across measures.

Mothers reported:

• Longer wake time after sleep onset
• More stress-related awakenings
• Greater difficulty maintaining sleep routines
• Lower completion rates for traditional sleep treatment programs

Researchers point to a combination of biological differences in stress response and the reality that caregiving responsibilities—especially overnight—still fall disproportionately on women.

Any effective sleep solution for caregivers must account for that reality.

Can Digital CBT-I Help Caregivers Sleep Better?

The encouraging news: yes.

The study found that digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)—the gold-standard, first-line treatment for chronic insomnia—was highly effective for caregivers.

Participants who used Sleep Reset, an award-winning digital CBT-I program, experienced:

• Fewer nighttime awakenings
• Improved sleep quality
• More consistent sleep schedules
• Reduced stress and anxiety around sleep

Because the program is flexible and personalized, it fit into the unpredictable schedules and mental load that caregivers face—without requiring perfect routines.

Researchers noted that accessible, evidence-based digital sleep therapy may play a critical role in supporting caregiver health.

Sleep Is Not a Luxury for Caregivers—It’s Healthcare

Caregivers give constantly: time, energy, emotional attention. This research makes one thing clear—chronic sleep deprivation among parents, especially mothers, is a public health issue.

Supporting caregiver sleep isn’t indulgent. It’s preventive care—for mental health, metabolic health, cardiovascular health, and family wellbeing.

If you’re struggling to sleep as a caregiver, it’s not a personal failure. It’s a biological response to sustained disruption—and one that deserves evidence-based support.

About the Research

This prospective study followed 983 adults over 12 weeks using daily sleep diaries, wearable sleep trackers, and validated clinical assessments. The research was conducted using Sleep Reset’s data platform and digital CBT-I program and was presented at Sleep 2025 (U.S.) and World Sleep 2025.