“Tired but wired” - First-time parents lived experiences of sleep loss, tiredness and wellbeing during the first six months postpartum

OBJECTIVES: Sleep loss is a common experience amongst first-time parents and can result in postpartum fatigue. There is a lack of research on first-time parents' lived experiences of sleep and sleep loss, and its associated effects on mental health, parental relationships, and overall wellbeing as new parents. We examined first-time parents' perceptions, experiences and attitudes to sleep loss, tiredness and wellbeing during the first six months postpartum in Ireland. METHODS: One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen first-time parents (female n = 10, male n = 4) from October to December 2025. The interviews took place online. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Four themes were identified: 1) the gendered experience of sleep as a new parent, 2) (in)ability to sleep, 3) postpartum wellbeing struggles and 4) resilience and adapting. These themes highlighted how first-time parents navigate their sleep in their new role as a mother or father, their difficulty getting adequate sleep, complex wellbeing struggles as a result of sleep loss, and the discovery of new ways to function when dealing with sleep loss in the postpartum period. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the need for healthcare professionals to recognise postpartum sleep loss as both a physiological and psychological experience, and to incorporate holistic, routine discussions of sleep into postnatal care.