Early nights could help you be a dad

GETTING early nights may seem an obvious tip for men wanting to become a father, as they prepare for their sleep to be disrupted by a baby.

But scientists have found men who go to bed before midnight also have a better chance of conceiving a child because they have healthier, fitter sperm.

Those falling asleep between 8pm and 10pm had the best sperm motility, meaning the sperm are better swimmers and have a greater chance of fertilising an egg.

One in five British men is thought to have a low sperm count. Levels have fallen in recent years amid fears obesity and lack of exercise are leaving thousands infertile. The latest findings, by Harbin Medical University in China and published in the journal Medical Science Monitor, suggests bedtime and amount of sleep are crucial.

Researchers monitored sleeping patterns in 981 healthy men instructed to go to bed between 8pm and 10pm, between 10pm and midnight, or after midnight.

They were also told to set their alarms so they got six hours’ sleep or less, seven to eight hours, or nine hours or longer. Scientists took regular semen samples to check sperm count, shape and motility. The results showed men who went to bed after midnight had lower sperm counts and their sperm died much sooner than in the other groups. Sleeping for six hours or less – made this even worse, as did lying in bed for more than nine hours.

Scientists said they think late bedtimes and inadequate rest are harmful because they increase levels of antisperm antibody, a type of protein produced by the immune system which can destroy healthy sperm.

A 2013 study in Denmark found men getting six hours a night had sperm counts that were 25 per cent lower than in men snoozing a full eight hours. Lack of rest made testicles shrink, scientists found.