One in five men would happily send their wife to check out a strange noise downstairs in the middle of the night, it has been revealed. The worryingly high stat emerged from a study of 2,000 adults which also found most blokes would rather stay in bed than get up and check the house isn't being burgled.
The figures show around one in four men pretend to be asleep upon hearing a 'bump in the night', to avoid having to investigate the noise.
Around four out of ten men said they never bothered checking out strange noises because they 'know there is nothing to worry about'.
However the research commissioned by home security specialist Yale also found around one in five men readily admit their wife is 'braver than they are'.
A spokesman for Yale said:
''While the study indicates that women are generally more fearful and worried about strange noises heard in the middle of the night, there is a large percentage of men who feel the same and will do anything to avoid leaving the safety of their bedroom.
''In the majority of cases, noises in the small hours are caused by the weather, pets or the neighbours, but in the middle of the night it is easy to let our imaginations run wild.
''Suddenly the prospect of creeping downstairs in the darkness can be really daunting, and something couples will do anything to avoid.
''Sometimes it is a good idea to get piece of mind by double checking all the locks on doors and windows before going to bed, just to ensure a better night's sleep.''
The study also found one in ten men are simply too scared to venture downstairs to check out unusual noises, preferring to remain in bed while the other half gets up to see what is going on.
But while imaginations wreak havoc, the reality is usually less scary - the most common night-time disturbances waking us up are car alarms, cats fighting, a partner snoring, thunder, and heavy rain.
The study shows four in ten have woken to a noise in the night and been convinced someone was breaking in.
But many people are simply hearing the neighbours arguing, talking too loudly in the garden, playing loud music or having problems keeping their pets under control.
Other sleep disruptions include drunken people in the street, children getting up with night terrors or dreams, and open doors and windows banging.
In fact, the average woman polled has 11 sleepless nights during the average month, while men sleep a little easier, experiencing just eight.
When it comes to ensuring they get a good night's sleep, one in twenty people still check under the bed before getting in each evening.
While two thirds of women and 56% of men have a night time routine to make sure they have checked all windows and doors before going to bed.
But 44% of ladies, and 28% of blokes often lie in bed worrying they haven't locked the back or front door - for a fifth of couples this then develops into an argument about who should get up to check the door is locked.
And more than a fifth of Brits have a weapon lying underneath or next to the bed, for security and peace of mind.
The most common 'weapons' found in British bedrooms include baseball bats, heavy torches, walking sticks and golf clubs.
The Yale spokesman added:
''Things that go bump in the night more often than not turn out to be false alarms.
''However, despite this it is still important to ensure home security is a key priority.
''Statistics show that burglaries increase by up to 20 per cent when the clocks change, as criminals take advantage of the darker evenings.''
MOST COMMON NIGHT-TIME NOISES
1. Thunder
2. Heavy rain
3. Car alarm
4. Partner snoring
5. Phone going off
6. Cat's fighting
7. Drunken people in the street
8. Own pet
9. Car doors closing
10. Burglar alarm
11. Neighbours playing music
12. Doors / blinds banging because windows are open
13. A neighbour's pet
14. Helicopters
15. Neighbours talking loudly in the garden
16. Children getting up with night terrors / bad dreams
17. Police cars / sirens
18. Toilet flushing
19. Neighbours have a row
20. Doorbell rings
