Imagine a life of just a few hours of sleep, night after night, a new cold or flu every month. What would this do to your health?

Some say it may do wonders.

"Fatherhood brings unexpected joys — so many times, it’s been so long since we’ve been to a park and sat on a swing, or kicked a soccer ball around, or been to a party and seen a child open their first birthday present," says Kenneth Rosenbaum, M.D., chairman of pediatrics. "When you witness that, it has significant benefits."

But Dr. Rosenbaum, who has no children, knows there is a flip side.

"Fatherhood can be very stressful," he says. "There are increased financial pressures and decreased sleep, especially with young kids. When they’re in day care, they bring home runny noses. Fathers get sick more often because their kids are sick."

Pediatrician Jim Ferrara, M.D., sees a trend lately of fathers who were older, and possibly wiser, when their children were born. "This generation of older fathers is in much better shape," says Dr. Ferrara, who has a son, 17, and a daughter, 19. "When I was a kid, my father would come to watch our sporting events, but he never really played with us. I’m 50, and I still play ball with my kids. I make sure I exercise. I swim three or four times a week."

For some parents, nighttime hours are the hardest.

"Talk to your pediatrician early on about how to get your kids to sleep well," says Dr. Ferrara. "If parents let their kids rule their sleep life, their health will suffer. It’s not lifelong damage but once you get off your diet, weight management, exercise, it’s hard to get back on."

Alexander Lakowsky, M.D., an internist who doesn’t deal with fatherhood issues in his office, sees the health effects in his own life: He has two daughters, ages 2 years and 5 months.

"Being a father probably affects your health more in a negative way because you eat a lot of crappy food," says Dr. Lakowsky, laughing. "There’s no time to cook. But it’s only short term. It doesn’t have direct impact on your health. Or so I hope. It might affect my mental health. I’ve got two girls. We’ll see what I think when they’re teenagers."

"There are unanticipated joys for men," Dr. Rosenbaum adds. "Until you have a kid, it’s not necessarily socially acceptable to be affectionate. As a father, you’re given permission to be emotional."

What about trips to McDonald’s, the ice cream parlor, pizza parties?

"Fathers come to my office," says Dr. Rosenbaum, "and say, 'My kid doesn’t eat vegetables,' and I say, 'Do you eat vegetables?'"

This can prompt a discussion about the lifestyle that a father models for his children.

"Kids will follow their parents’ example," says Dr. Ferrara. "Stopping smoking is important for any adult, but it’s much more important if you have kids. They’re much more likely to smoke if you smoke."

The biggest benefit of fatherhood may be due to things you can’t pin down, says Dr. Rosenbaum.

"It brings you into a community of people — through school activities, through sports teams. You become connected to other people. People tend to be healthier and happier when they develop connections with other people."