Testosterone levels of fathers drop when they sleep near their child, according to research.
University of Notre Dame Anthropologist Lee Gettler conducted a study that aimed to determine the relationship between the sleep proximity between fathers and their children and the levels of their testosterone, as per Science Daily.
The study involved 362 fathers aged 25 to 26 years old as subjects. They were categorized as to their reported nighttime sleeping location. There were three groups - fathers who sleep alone, fathers who sleep in the same room as their children, and those who sleep on the same surface as their young.
Saliva samples were collected from the subjects to measure their testosterone levels. These were obtained as they woke up and before they went to sleep.
Results revealed that those fathers who sleep near their young had a drop in their evening testosterone levels, as compared to those who sleep alone. There was no difference in the waking hormone levels of the three groups.
The reduction in the male sex hormone implies that fathers may become more reactive to the needs of their children, allowing them to concentrate to their roles as parents.
Gettler also explained that when men become fathers, their testosterone level decreases. In addition, those who spend time with their child had lower levels of the male sex hormone.
As per Hitched, the testosterone level of a new father decreases quickly when his child is born. Even simply holding a baby triggers a drop in the testosterone levels.
The outcome of the Notra Dame study will be published in the September 5 issue of the journal "PLos ONE."