Men really don't hear crying babies

Annoying but true – men are more likely to be woken by a buzzing fly than their own baby crying, says new research

Sleeping man - News - Marie Claire
Sleeping man - News - Marie Claire
(Image credit: Rex Features)

Annoying but true – men are more likely to be woken by a buzzing fly than their own baby crying, says new research

Women who suspect their partners are faking when they sleep through a baby's cries have got it wrong, according to new research.

Research by MindLab found that while a crying baby is the most likely noise to wake a women, it doesn't feature in the top 10 disturbances for men.

Fathers are more likely to be woken by a car alarm, the sound of wind or even the sound of a fly buzzing than their own child crying, reports the Mail.

MindLab measured the brain activity of sleeping volunteers to monitor how this was affected by different noises.

They found that women are more likely to be disturbed by noise than men, and to find it harder to go to sleep again.

Whether they are mothers or not, women are most likely to be disturbed by the sound of a crying baby.

'These differing sensitivities may represent evolutionary differences that make women sensitive to sounds associated with a potential threat to their children while men are more finely tuned to disturbances posing a possible threat to the whole family,' said Dr David Lewis, a psychologist.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.