More than half of fathers said they were sleep-deprived when they drove their newborn baby home and a third said they had not felt safe, according to a new survey.

Almost six out of 10 (58%) of new fathers said they had slept for fewer than five hours in the 48 hours before driving their baby home. A further one in 10 said they had slept for an hour or less.

More than a third (36%) of fathers admitted they did not feel safe driving the baby home and a quarter (26%) said they could not even remember the drive home which took 21 minutes on average.

The survey was carried out for child safety firm Britax and Loughborough University which offered advice for fathers-to-be.

Suggestions include arranging for a friend or relative to drive the family home from hospital.

New fathers who must drive should plan a route home which they feel comfortable with and try to get a couple of hours sleep before picking up the mother and baby. If time is short, they should try to squeeze in a 15-minute nap before driving, and drink one or two strong cups of coffee before setting off.

It is also recommended that cool, fresh air is allowed to circulate in the car after the baby is wrapped in warm clothes.

Fathers should pull over and take a break if they do not feel safe to drive.

::OnePoll surveyed 1,000 British fathers aged between 18 and 40.