Our new dad columnist Will Lodge looks at sleeping patterns and new conversations.

A lot of people have been asking since the arrival of baby how much sleep we are getting and if she is keeping us up in the night.

Honestly, she’s brilliant, the worst sleep has seen us up only once a night since she was born.

I know most babies aren’t this sedate, my wife suggests she is more like her father and just likes to catch some zzzzz’s.

I understand why people ask and she has, between the middle of the night feeds and the dreams mentioned in my first column, kept us awake to some extent.

But oddly it is probably our middle boy who has kept us more awake lately.

After a series of nightmares, and midnight coming into our bed for cuddles episodes - frightened of the “acid monster” - it has been a disturbing night for us all.

The other night, while in our bed he was adamant there was someone in our prompting an urgent request for the light to be switched on.

While we agreed (who could say no) it did raise questions of would it wake the baby.

It didn’t - she seems to sleep through anything (again like her father) - For the record, we managed to get rid of the “acid monster” using an age old nightmare trashing technique involving writing or drawing said monster and tearing it up and putting in the bin. (I have personal experience with this having had reoccurring nightmares as a child involving a shark that had a vendetta against me at a Debenhams’ fish counter of all such dreamworld places!) Aside from the obvious sleep benefits, there is also another advantage of having a sleeping beauty for a baby - winning parent top trumps. (Every parent is a winner and you never play for keepsies) If you have a child you know what I mean, but for those that do not let me explain. When parents get chatting it often boils down to who is getting what sleep, who is drinking how much and when teeth may or may not appear.

Before you get the wrong idea I love these conversations. I could happily talk about my kids all day.

This joy of talking about my children extends to the cyberworld too.

Before having children (and after university) I was at best a Facebook browser and very sporadic poster.

Afterwards - well there are certainly a lot more pictures on my profile now, but they are not of me however they are much cuter.

Still, all of this new conversation material sure beats talking about the weather!