Australian babies are among the most sleep deprived in the western world.

Half of Australian babies aged between 12 and 24 months survive on less than eight hours sleep – four hours less than what is recommended for a child’s optimum growth and development.

In comparison, one-third of babies in Western Europe enjoy less than the optimum 12 hours sleep per night.

The findings were birthed from the Pampers Nappies Golden Sleep Survey, which looks at the extent of Australia’s infant sleep deficit and its impact on baby development.

The survey of 1000 Australian mothers found they were unanimous in their belief that sleep is vital for a baby’s happiness and ongoing development.

Ninety per cent of Aussie mothers believe their child is happier after a good night sleep, with 75 per cent of mums saying lack of sleep was one of the greatest challenges of parenthood.

The survey proved that sleep is a major key to emotional, physical and cognitive development in infants.

The results revealed that infants who have eight or more hours of uninterrupted ‘golden’ sleep each night are significantly more sociable and eager to play, compared to infants who sleep for five or less hours per night.

Australian babies are found to be significantly more sleep deprived than their overseas counterparts.

An online survey of more than 50,000 mums in Western Europe, also conducted by Pampers, found three-quarters of infants aged 12 to 24 months sleep for eight or more hours per night, compared to half of Australian infants in the same age bracket.

Despite almost half of Aussie babies receiving less than eight hours sleep, three-quarters of mothers surveyed believe their baby is a good sleeper.

Half of the mothers surveyed also said establishing a sleep routine was one of the major challenges of parenthood.

Not surprisingly, 95 per cent of mums said they see a direct connection between their baby having a good night sleep and their own mood the following morning.