More than half of fathers pretend to be asleep to avoid getting out of bed to look after children

  • Some 56 per cent of dads pretend to sleep when their children get up
  • Excuses range from having work the next day to just being tired
  • Many parents agree that it has become the subject of rows between them 

By Martha Cliff for MailOnline

1413389998547_wps_1_Couple_lying_together_in_It seems some parents will go to extreme lengths to get a good night's sleep.

A new study has revealed that over half of dads pretend to be asleep when their children are crying in the night to ensure that they get their full eight hours.

The sly fathers admit that they lie still and keep their eyes closed if they here their children calling for them in the night so that their partner has to get up instead.

It has been revealed that 56 per cent of dads pretend to be asleep to avoid getting up with their children at night

The study of 2,000 parents found 56 per cent of fathers own up to faking sleep to avoid having to get up with a child, with 44 per cent of those saying they knew this would mean their partner would go.

Many dads believe that they are useless in the situation anyway. One in five said that their children only call for their mum  and one in ten agreed that their partner is better at dealing with the situation than they are.

Many fathers avoid getting up as they claim that their partners are better at dealing with the situation

For other men it is a case of what their child is demanding with one in five revealing that they avoid tending to night feeds, nightmares, teething problems, a lost dummy or bed wetting.

And the excuses don't end there. Three in ten use having work the next day  as a reason to avoid having to get up while another 24 per cent claim it's not their turn.

Other dads aren't so creative with their excuses with 31 per cent saying they pretend to be asleep because they can't be bothered to get up, while 26 per cent are just too tired.

The sneaky sleeping has obviously got partners fooled as the study found that it was the mothers who tended to get up with the children.

While 31 per cent of parents say dealing with the middle of the night wake-up calls is generally shared between them, 47 per cent admitted it's usually mum who gets up.

Just 14 per cent say it's a job normally left for dad to take care of.

However, this one-sided effort hasn't gone unnoticed. Some 43 per cent of parents say deciding who should be the one to get up has caused rows between them and their partner.

Emma Kenny, child psychologist and spokesperson for DryNites, says that it is not uncommon for the subject to cause fights between couples.

'Deciding who gets up in the night can often be the cause of arguments between parents.

'And this is the case from the moment their baby is born, right through to pre-school age when they are dealing with nightmares and wet beds.'

Emma says that although it is a common problem it is a task that needs to be shared between both parents.

'It's important that both mums and dads share the responsibility if their child wakes up in the middle of the night.

'The good news is that parents can often manage the causes of sleepless nights by being aware of the support and products available to ensure their kids sleep through.'

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