Babies of parents who work from home sleep for longer at night, experts believe.
Researchers at Flinders University in Australia analysed data from more than 1,500 American babies and their parents.
Half of the infants had their sleeping habits monitored at the end of 2019, before the Covid pandemic struck.
The others were assessed between November and December 2020, when the virus was rife and lockdowns were commonplace.
Results showed infants in the pandemic group slept for around 40 minutes longer at night, on average.
A study of 1,500 babies in the US and their parents found they got 40 minutes more sleep every night during the pandemic, while older babies spent more time watching TV
Here comes the Covid baby boom! Couples are likely to start families two years earlier as pandemic convinces them ‘life is short’, survey finds
Young couples are reassessing their lives in the wake of the pandemic, with many deciding to start a family sooner, according to a survey.
Almost a quarter of 2,000 couples in their 20s and 30s polled said they were now trying for a baby, despite having had no plans to do so before Covid struck last year.
On average, they said they were bringing forward plans to start trying for a family by two years.
Most of those wanting to rush a little faster into parenthood said they were doing so because the pandemic had made them realise that life was short.
The move to ‘working from home’ has also helped some with the practicalities of starting a family.
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The team, whose findings were published in the journal Sleep Medicine, claim it was possible the difference was down to their parents working from home.
Parents were likely to spend more time with their children during the day when WFH so were likely less inclined to keep them up longer.
Lead author Dr Michael Kahn claimed it may beneficial to allow parents to work from home once the worst of Covid is over.
The team said it may help improve the wellbeing of both parents and infants as they ‘transition to post-pandemic times’.
Scientists used sleep trackers and questionnaires to monitor the sleeping patterns of the babies and their parents.
Despite getting more sleep, older babies in the pandemic group also had an extra 18 minutes of screen time per day.
Parents may have been more likely to use TV and other devices to keep older infants occupied, so they could focus on work or domestic chores.
Meanwhile, parents looking after their children while Covid was spreading felt more awake in the day time.
This may be because their babies slept longer at night, as well as because they no longer had to get up early to commute to work.
But parents also reported being more likely to have symptoms of depression, despite appearing to have had slightly better sleep.
Having three days at home and two in the office is set to become the new normal as a result of the pandemic.
Many big firms have already agreed the changes, while the Institute of Directors said two thirds of business leaders will allow remote working.
Roger Barker, the institute’s director of policy, said the pandemic had driven a revolution ‘greater than radical reform or regulation ever could have’.
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