Having a child will disrupt your sleep for at least six years, a study has found.

Research tracking almost 5,000 parents found that even when children had reached school age, mothers and fathers were still suffering significantly worse sleep than before they conceived.

Unsurprisingly, sleep satisfaction and duration was at its worst in the first three months after birth, the study found.

Mothers lost an hour’s sleep a night in the first three months after giving birth, while fathers lost 15 minutes, researchers at the University of Warwick found.

But six years after birth mothers slept 20 minutes less – while fathers were still deprived of 15 minutes a night.

Researchers said the increased responsibilities of parenthood were responsible for sleepless nights, long after the demands of feeding and nappy changing had ended.