Troxel has also studied sleep among couples and families, and she says the sleep challenges new parents face really are somewhat akin to those of soldiers at war. “You feel the weight of the world on your shoulders to protect this precious baby,” she says. “In some ways, this is similar to the experience of service members: There is a reduced opportunity for sleep, but the need to be constantly vigilant is overwhelming. The sleep deprivation and high-stress environment feed into each other.
