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WHOOP and Frida Collaborate to Uncover the Unfiltered Realities of Caring for a Sick Child: New Research Reveals the Impact on Parents Navigating Cold and Flu Season. 

Eye-Opening Study of 300+ WHOOP Members Explores the Impact of Parenting a Sick Child on Parents’ Sleep and Cardiorespiratory Health.

BOSTON (April 17, 2024) – WHOOP, the human performance company, today announced a new study conducted in partnership with Frida, the brand that prepares parents for the realities of parenthood. The research examined the effects of caring for a sick child on parents’ physical and mental capacity. The two wellness brands are working together to spotlight the worsened effects of sleep on parents caring for sick children compared to when the parents are sick themselves. Consequently, the study also emphasizes the importance of implementing self care measures like breathwork and healthy dietary choices, while also hoping children feel better faster. 

Between September 1 and December 31, 2023, more than 300 WHOOP members monitored both their own health and that of their young children (ages 0-4) to gauge the effects of cold and flu season on their sleep patterns and overall well-being. The findings underscore how parenting sick children disrupts parents’ sleep, more so than if they were sick and highlights the importance of prioritizing sleep health, especially during flu season.

Sleep Deficit When Caring for a Sick Child

Getting enough quality sleep is essential for optimal performance and recovery, especially for parents, and yet the recent study revealed that sleep is impacted more when a parent’s children are sick as opposed to when parents are sick themselves. Sleep is one of the core pillars of health that WHOOP measures every night to provide accurate recommendations on what the body needs to adequately recover.  

  • Wake Duration: When parenting a sick child, parents see a significant increase in wake duration (+8.4 mins) – an even greater increase than if they report being sick themselves (+8.16 mins). While 8 minutes may feel small, when you fail to consistently meet your sleep need, you begin to accumulate sleep debt. If you build up too much sleep debt, you become sleep deprived which can impact critical areas of your overall health, including worsening your cognitive functions and impulse control, weakening your immune system, and damaging your metabolic health. In addition, parenting a child with an illness more significant than the flu is likely to be much more disruptive of sleep and parental health.
  • Sleep Consistency: Sleep consistency decreases by 1.674% when parenting a sick child, and decreases by 2.247% when a parent is sick themselves. Sleep consistency is essential for a steady circadian rhythm, and is gauged by the similarity detected in sleep and wake times.

“The research conducted by WHOOP and Frida, in a historically underrepresented area of study, demonstrates that the strain on parents’ health is greater when their children are sick versus when they are sick themselves,” said Tatiana Kuzmowycz, Vice President of Brand at WHOOP.  “While parents are focused on the health of their child or children, they should equally be focused on prioritizing their own health and well-being, as our research shows. Simple behaviors like breathwork or better dietary choices can help them stay healthy even as their children are sick.”

Effects on Parents’ Cardiorespiratory System and Sleep When Their Child is Sick 

The study also revealed that a parent’s cardiorespiratory system, as well as their wake duration and sleep, is impacted the more days that their child is sick, as evidenced by an increase in resting heart rate (RHR), decrease in absolute HRV and a higher fluctuation in day-to-day HRV trends. Generally speaking, higher variation in HRV equates to an increase in physiological stress and maladaptation to external and internal stressors. 

  • Resting Heart Rate (RHR): Every additional day of parenting a sick child increases RHR, a measure of average heart beats per minute. In general, the lower the resting heart rate, the better indicator that you are in good health. 
  • Heart Rate Variability (HRV): Every additional day of parenting a sick child in a row decreases HRV, the variance in time between the beats of the heart. HRV is an extremely sensitive metric that varies throughout the day, however a decreased HRV may indicate a reduced ability of the body to adapt to stress and can be an indicator of illness.
  • Respiratory Rate: Every additional day of parenting a sick child increases respiratory rate, the rate in which breathing occurs. Most WHOOP members do not see much change in their respiratory rate, however, when it does increase, this often signals sickness.

Both WHOOP and Frida offer solutions for parents to better understand and manage the symptoms of illness. With WHOOP, parents can track sickness in themselves or in their children, in addition to tracking nursing an infant, pregnancy, and more to understand the impacts on their physiology and sleep. Frida offers an extensive and effective line of cold and flu products designed for babies that makes parents’ lives easier: the cult-favorite NoseFrida Snotsucker, which is the # 1 pediatrician recommended nasal aspirator, 3-in-1 Humidifier XL, and Purifier, as well as the No-Mess Vapor Rub which is the brand’s most recent addition to its congestion relief portfolio.

To learn more and discover how WHOOP helps its members unlock their performance, and unlock a one-month free trial to start your own journey, visit www.whoop.com. To make it even more convenient than ever before to access WHOOP, it is now available for purchase on Amazon.com, as well as at Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and WHOOP.com.

Frida fan-favorites for baby, mom and fertility are available at Amazon, Target, Walmart, and directly at frida.com.

ABOUT WHOOP

WHOOP, the human performance company, offers a wearable health and fitness coach to help people achieve their goals. The WHOOP membership provides best-in-class wearable technology, actionable feedback, and recommendations across recovery, sleep, training, and health. WHOOP serves professional athletes, Fortune 500 CEOs, executives, fitness enthusiasts, military personnel, frontline workers, and anyone looking to improve their performance. WHOOP Unite is a comprehensive solution dedicated to supporting organizations across a wide range of industries with coaching, organizational insights, and health programs. Studies show WHOOP can positively change behavior, increase sleep, and improve physiological biomarkers. Founded in 2012, WHOOP is based in Boston and has raised more than $400 million in venture capital. The latest round of financing made WHOOP the world's most valuable standalone wearables company. Visit WHOOP.com for more information and connect with WHOOP on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

CONTACTS:

Julie Cassetina

Jack Taylor PR

whoop@jacktaylorpr.com 

Kristin Martinez

Alison Brod Marketing + Communications

Frida@abmc-us.com