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Though single mothers are perhaps some of the strongest people out there, many studies have shown that children from dual-parent households are more emotionally, financially and psychologically stable. However, while these studies have focused on the affects the father can have on the lives of children, little to no focus has been centered on what the child can do emotionally for a parent.

Now, researchers reveal, that there is in fact a hormonal change in men who live and sleep in close proximity to their children.

According to a study published on September 5 in the open access journal PloS ONE, men who sleep next to or near their children experience a significant decrease in testosterone level which may have implications for parenting behavior.

Past research has shown that the level of a man's testosterone greatly impacts his parenting skills. Males with higher levels of Testosterone were proven to be more distant with children, having a greater propensity for discipline.

According to a study released just last year, by Northwestern University, human males were shown to be biologically wired to care for offspring, conclusively showing for the first time that fatherhood actively lowers a man's testosterone levels.

Testosterone boosts behaviors and other traits that help a male compete for a mate. After they succeed and become fathers, "mating-related" activities may conflict with the responsibilities of fatherhood, making it advantageous for the body to reduce production of the hormone.

Lee Gettler of the University of Notre Dame and lead author of this current study, analyzed 362 fathers to determine whether their sleeping arrangements ---either sleeping on the same surface with their children, in the same room or separative---could directly effect testosterone levels.

According to the report released by the Public Library of Sciences, researchers found that close sleep proximity between fathers and their children was associated with dramatic testosterone decrease, making them, by reason, more maternal than they were upon the child's birth.

By contrast, fathers who slept separate and apart from their children maintain high levels of testosterone and were usually defined by their female partners to be, exclusively, strong disciplinary figure and breadwinner.

"Fatherhood and the demands of having a newborn baby require many emotional, psychological and physical adjustments," Gettler said. "Our study indicates that a man's biology can change substantially to help meet those demands."