a good night sleep is critical to a person’s overall health, mood, and energy the next day. There are several methods to get a good night’s sleep, how to establish a nightly routine, take a supplement or listen to white noise . And according to a small study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatryfall asleep next to a couple (romantic) can also help.
The study, conducted by researchers at Center for Integrative Psychiatry in Germanyfound that couples experience deeper, less interrupted sleep when sharing a bedcompared to when they sleep individually.
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The researchers analyzed the sleep patterns of 12 heterosexual couples, both individually and together, over the course of 4 nights. Using a method called simultaneous dual polysomnographythey measured the brain wavesthe breathingthe muscle tensionthe body movements and the cardiac activity During the dream. couples too answered questionnaires about their relationship statusincluding levels of passion and depth, as well as the duration of the relationship.
They found that couples who slept together experienced an increase in rapid eye movement sleep (REM), which is believed to It is related to dreams, emotions, memory and creativity.
In addition, couples who scored high on the «depth of relationship«were more likely to sync your sleep movements. Curiously, even when the couples moved around physically, their quality of sleep was not affected.
Two possible components, ambient temperature and psychological factors, may play a role in this enhanced REM sleep. The principal investigator, Henning Johannes Drews, Ph.D. notes «Both factors could be relevant,» he says. This is why:
Temperature: REM sleep can reduce the body’s ability to maintain its natural temperatureDrews explains. Therefore, the presence of a partner can help stabilize that temperature.
Psychological factors: the psychological stress or fear they can reduce REM sleep, says Drew. Therefore, a comfortable and safe environment can promote REM sleep. «The presence of company could help create a safe environment«.
conflicting investigation.
Previous studies of couples’ sleep quality have found opposite conclusions. A 2016 study, for example, found that couples who sleep in the same bed experience a decrease in sleep quality and a increase in mental health problems. Other studies have gone so far as to say that sleeping in separate households, or «living apart»can improve the outcome of a couple’s relationship.
Drews suggests that one reason for the differences may have to do with the methodology. Many of these studies infer the quality of sleep based on a measurement of body movements, called actigraphy, he explains.
«Since our study also measures brain waves (EEG), we can clearly see that the movements, which in fact increase when sleeping with a partner, they don’t really disturb sleepsays Drews. «You could say that while your body is a bit of a rebel when you sleep with someone, your brain is not. And that is what counts».
That said, this study was small, and More research is needed to fully understand how sleeping with a partner affects sleep quality.