Hello there MacGarrin,
Thanks for posting here on the Apple Support Communities! This is a place where other Apple users can submit questions or respond to others to help lend a hand.
We understand your iPad’s battery life has changed since a recent update. Let's take a closer look as we do our best to provide some additional insight.
To get started, be sure to review all of the suggested troubleshooting steps and battery optimization settings suggested here: Maximizing Battery Life and Lifespan Even if you don't recall anything changing, be sure to review all of the suggestions and make any of the required changes.
With that done, you can then review battery usage on your iPad under Settings > Battery. Be sure to look out for any apps that may be using up more energy than expected and for anything with excessive notifications or background activity that could be waking your iPad up.
If issues persist or if you have additional questions, you may want to contact Apple Support directly.
We hope this helps get you pointed in the right direction.
Take care.