Poor sleep is associated with lower relationship satisfaction in men

A bidirectional association exists between couples’ sleep quality and the quality of their relationship, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Wednesday, June 10, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

Results indicate that on a day to day basis, couples’ relationship quality affects their sleep, and their sleep also affects their subsequent relationship functioning. For men, better sleep (as indicated by diary–based sleep efficiency) was associated with more positive ratings of relationship quality the next day.

Prtincipal investigator said that interventions directed at improving either quality of sleep or relationships may provide overall benefits, as the two directly impact each other. He recommends that couples should resolve disputes before going to bed and avoid confrontational discussions on a day when one or both of them had a bad night’s sleep.