’Til Sleep
Do Us Part
Is a lack of sleep
killing your marriage?
ILLUSTRATION BY STUART BRADFORD
If you’re a Mrs. who’s missing sleep,
get some z’s: It could improve your
relationship with your husband,
according to new research from the
University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine. When wives had trouble
sleeping, it meant trouble the next
day—for both partners. In fact, when
wives were tired, couples’ interactions
were far more negative compared
THE BEST
OF YOUR LIFE
with those of spouses who both got
enough sleep. (Interestingly, when
husbands slept poorly, couples reported little to no change in interactions.)
“Sleep affects all aspects of func-
tioning, including the health of our
marriages,” says researcher Wendy
Troxel, Ph. D. “ These results may
be particularly important for older
adults, who have higher rates of
sleep disturbances.”
But why the focus
on wives? Troxel
theorizes women
are generally more
expressive than
men and, thus,
more likely to show
irritation when
tired. Women are
also more likely to have insomnia. To
ease tension, wives can spend time
solo—husbands should be glad to stay
away!—and wives should be honest
about their fatigue. (Husbands may
then find it easier to empathize.) And
if either party has insomnia more than
three times weekly, for one month or
longer, Troxel advises contacting a
health care provider. —Alyssa Morones
