According to a recent report on Science Daily romantic tiffs tend to escalate after a night of bad sleep. The study, led by UC Berkeley psychologists Amie Gordon and Serena Chen, was recently published in the online journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Researchers conducted two trials with more than a hundred couples. First, they asked 78 young adults in relationships to record sleep quality and problems as a couple within a two-week time frame. The participants reported more arguments with their partners when they lost sleep the night before.
In the second trial, researchers asked 71 couples to rate how they slept the night before and to discuss relationship problems with their partners while being recorded. Each person rated how open or guarded their partners were during the discussion and stated whether or not the conflict was resolved.
The participants who slept poorly prior to the experiment felt worse about their partners and their situation after the discussion. Their ability to gauge the emotional responses of their partners also suffered, leading to more misunderstanding and even greater conflict.
Sleep is the body’s way of recuperating and the mind’s way of resting. It is during sleep that the body repairs damaged tissues, grows new cells, and balances hormones, enabling a person to go through another day without any health hitches. Sleep is a source of good rest and good vibes, so get enough of it, and spread the positivity to the one who matters the most.
(Photo by Stephanie Hofschlaeger via sxc.hu)
