In those sleep deprived days of new motherhood, it seems like EVERYONE in the world is sleeping more than you.

But an interesting study from the journal Pediatrics indicates that whether you’re a breastfeeding or formula feeding mom, you’re equally exhausted.

We’re sharing some of the findings from the study, courtesy of Seattle Mama Doc Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE.

Here’s what you need to know:

Researchers sought to determine if mothers who breastfed slept less than those who formula fed their babies.

Moms were divided into breast feeding, partial breast feeding, and formula feeding groups to run results.

All moms get about the same amount of sleep

What the researchers found was that moms didn’t differ (statistically) in the amount of sleep, daytime functioning, or in the sleepiness scales.

All moms were getting about the same amount of sleep, feeling the same amount of fatigue, and were awake about the same amount of time at night.

Sleepiness is about the same, too

The study found no difference in objective sleep [measured by machine], subjective sleep [moms logging their sleep] or sleepiness between breastfeeding and formula feeding moms.

Breastfeeding moms have greater sleep efficiency

Further, one interesting difference found using actigraph data (objective) was at 10 weeks postpartum, breastfeeding moms has greater sleep efficiency than formula feeders.

Not all moms are the same

Of course, there are outliers to this data. Not all women fit into this mold. Further, this data can’t be extrapolated to women who suffer from postpartum depression or anxiety (the study excluded similar moms).

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