{"id":391427,"date":"2018-01-14T11:52:42","date_gmt":"2018-01-14T11:52:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=391427"},"modified":"2018-01-14T11:52:42","modified_gmt":"2018-01-14T11:52:42","slug":"6-strange-ways-sleep-habits-affect-relationship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2018\/01\/6-strange-ways-sleep-habits-affect-relationship\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Strange ways your sleep habits affect your relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your sleep habits affect your marriage more than you might think. Something as seemingly innocuous as waking up to pull back your share of the covers can leave you tired and cranky the next day\u2014and more frustrated with your spouse. Sleep has long been tied to mood and behavior, but new research is examining how our habits might affect our marital relationships.<\/p>\n

The news isn\u2019t all bad: There are many positive impacts that sleep habits can have on a relationship, including increased feelings of intimacy.\u00a0One study\u00a0of 29 heterosexual couples even found that a good night’s sleep increased reports of men treating their wives well, which in turn helped the women get better shut-eye.<\/p>\n

Good or bad, though, the effects of your bedtime rituals can last for the long term, which means habits like snoring or cuddling at night have power over the way you relate to one another during the waking hours. While there\u2019s no\u00a0one\u00a0formula for couples when it comes to sleeping,\u00a0figuring out what works for both of you may help you sleep better and strengthen your relationship.<\/p>\n

Consider these six surprising ways your sleep habits can affect your marriage:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Cuddling may lower your anxiety<\/strong><\/p>\n

Snuggly babies and puppies may be onto something. Sleeping under the same covers can bring great joy, research suggests. A\u00a02010 study\u00a0found that couples who cuddled in bed might experience lower levels of anxiety and increased feelings of security. The benefits carried over with couples feeling greater levels of intimacy during the day, creating a cycle of good feelings and good sleep.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Getting 7 hours of sleep defuses conflict<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not all conversations between couples are easy. Whether you’re deciding whose family to visit during the holidays or who will pick up the kids from school, keeping a cool head is key to navigating shared decisions without fighting. When one partner gets seven full hours of sleep at night, they\u2019re more easily able to regulate their emotions, which improves the couple\u2019s ability to work through high-pressure conversations.<\/p>\n

That’s what Stephanie Wilson, a researcher at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, found when she studied the impact of sleeplessness on relationships. \u201cCouples were more hostile to one another only if both partners had slept less than the recommended amount of the 7-hour benchmark,” Wilson says. “A well-rested partner helped to neutralize the disagreement despite the other\u2019s lack of sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Late-night TV can make you less interested in your spouse<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Staying up late to binge-watch your favorite Netflix show may be more costly than you know. Research has linked getting too little sleep to loss of interest in partners. Jocelyn Cheng, MD, a neurologist and sleep expert at New York University Medical Center, says loss of interest is also a common symptom of depression, which\u00a0studies have also linked to sleeplessness. The exact brain mechanism for why this happens is unknown, but mood-affecting neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin may play a role. If you or your spouse is experiencing loss of interest in the relationship, you may want to turn off the TV a little earlier at night and try to get more shut-eye.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Sharing a bed can make you healthier<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Sleeping next to your spouse doesn\u2019t only feel good, it inspires you to take care of each other. In the same study that found cuddling reduces anxiety and fosters intimacy, researchers found that if one partner suffered from sleep apnea, they were more likely to use their CPAP machine due to their spouse\u2019s urging, providing increased health benefits for that individual.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0Restless nights may fuel bickering<\/strong><\/p>\n

While there are many health benefits to sharing a bed, it isn\u2019t the best option for all married couples. Co-sleeping couples\u00a0have a\u00a050%\u00a0increase\u00a0in the likelihood that one of them will be woken up at night, effectively guaranteeing a bad mood the next day. A\u00a02013 study\u00a0found that as a result of a bad night\u2019s sleep, couples reported appreciating each other less the next day. Bickering with your spouse may have more to do with whether or not they’re a covers hog than if they forgot to vacuum.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0Sleeping with pink noise may ease tension<\/strong><\/p>\n

Forgetting to take out the garbage or pay a bill can lead to conflict in many marriages. If you\u2019ve ever felt like your spouse just doesn\u2019t listen to you, research has reassuring news: Disrupted sleep may be to blame for their memory lapses. A\u00a02017 study\u00a0of older adults found that those who\u00a0slept with\u00a0pink noise\u00a0at night performed three times better at a memory test than those who didn’t.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Pink noise\u2014much like white noise but at a lower frequency\u2014helps by not only blocking sound that may jar you awake, but by helping improve\u00a0slow-wave sleep, which impacts memory. We need uninterrupted sleep to allow our brains to\u00a0make memories stick. A good night\u2019s sleep makes you more likely to remember what your spouse said, which can eliminate conflict over forgotten plans and obligations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your sleep habits affect your marriage more than you might think. Something as seemingly innocuous as waking up to pull back your share of the covers can leave you tired and cranky the next day\u2014and more frustrated with your spouse. Sleep has long been tied to mood and behavior, but new research is examining how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":212210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[354],"tags":[1811,355],"yoast_head":"\n6 Strange ways your sleep habits affect your relationship - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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