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Strollerderby
They Say: Dad Really Doesn’t Hear the Crying
How often has this little scenario played itself out at your house: baby cries, mom shoots out of bed to see what’s wrong, and dad slumbers away happily? And then mom comes back to bed and seethes?
A new study found that maybe he’s not being a slacker after all. A British manufacturer of cold and cough medicines commissioned a survey of what’s most likely to wake up men and women. For women, a baby’s cry is the most likely thing to jolt her out of a sound sleep — interestingly, even if she is not a mother herself. For men, it’s a car alarm.
In my house it’s my husband that jolts awake for the night calls. I sleep like the dead, and he’s a light sleeper — although now that the kids are older and I am not waking up to nurse every three hours, I jolt awake at the same time he does because a cry usually means trouble. However, the rest of the women’s list sounds about right: a dripping tap, rowdiness outside, snoring, a buzzing fly, drilling or workmen outside, sirens, a car alarm, howling wind, and noise from a drain. For men, the remaining sleep-disturbers in order are howling wind, a buzzing fly, snoring, noise from drains, crickets, emergency sirens, a clock ticking, drilling or workmen, and a dripping tap.
Who does night duty most often in your house? And what tends to be your wakeup triggers? If you’re in a same-sex partnership, do you find you both wake up at same things?
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7 Comments
Andrea commented on Dec 02 09 at 6:43 pmMy husband hears my son before me almost every time. I read somewhere (I think Hrdy?) that men respond more quickly to cries of distress and women to cries for normal needs.
e commented on Dec 02 09 at 9:29 pmMy partner and I respond equally quickly. I always thought that it was because we shared our kid’s care equally… interesting to think it could be biological.
PlumbLucky commented on Dec 03 09 at 7:23 amIn our house, its about 50/50 who hears our little guy first, him or me. I guess I’m lucky, my hubs doesn’t think anything of getting out of bed to soothe the little guy.
Bean's Mom commented on Dec 03 09 at 10:54 amMy husband definitely hears cries from ourt child’s room quicker than I do. In fact, there are times when I have to tell him to refrain from going into our daugher’s room because a little bit of moaning or crying in her sleep does not require an immediate intervention.
Whit commented on Dec 03 09 at 6:17 pmI get about 80% of the night cries. Also, about 95% of the dogs wanting out. The only thing my wife hears first is, thankfully, the alarm.
Melissa commented on Dec 03 09 at 11:04 pmIt takes my husband forever to respond to our daughter in the night. my instincts are so sharp I can wake up before the crying is no louder than a whisper… He is no help ! Lol
Giant Panda commented on Dec 05 09 at 7:13 amMy husband snores so loudly I don’t think he hears anything at all, except for the chainsaw like buzzing in his ears! Meanwhile, I wake up at the slightest snuffle from the baby (which is why the baby sleeps in a different room, and I wear earplugs).
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