Everybody knows you should never go to sleep on an argument, but a new study suggests the old adage might be just as important for a person’s health as their relationship.
Research from the United States has found links between how valued a partner feels in their relationship and the quality of their sleep.
Scientists observed 698 married or cohabiting adults between the ages of 35 and 66 and found that those who were paid more attention by their partners were more likely to achieve good amounts of the deep “restorative” sleep that is crucial for good health.
Researchers at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology asked participants how well they were getting on with their partners and then assessed the quality of their sleep, both subjectively and objectively by using a monitoring advice.
Developmental and social psychologist Dr Emre Selcuk, lead author of the study, said: “Our findings show that individuals with responsive partners experience lower anxiety and arousal, which in turn improves their sleep quality.
“Having responsive partners who would be available to protect and comfort us should things go wrong is the most effective way for us humans to reduce anxiety, tension and arousal.”
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