Gaby
Researchers in Australia and Turkey have found a new sign of relationship harmony. Factors such as trust, mood, closeness, and satisfaction have long been considered the keys to happy relationships. Now they’ve added a pleasant feeling of drowsiness that one partner feels in the other’s presence.
The lead author of the study, Madeleine Spicer of Central Queensland University (Australia), says people in romantic relationships typically have higher levels of oxytocin, a hormone tied to bonding. Spicer says oxytocin can also improve sleep quality, helping people fall asleep faster and enjoy more restorative rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
Often called the “love hormone,” oxytocin is released during sexual activity, especially at orgasm. It can also be released simply by being near a romantic partner you feel attached to, Spicer said.
She and her colleagues found that regular sexual activity, sexual satisfaction, and more frequent orgasms are linked to falling asleep more easily. Feeling secure in a relationship can also boost sleep quality.
This point was echoed by Emre Selçuk, an adjunct professor of psychology at Sabancı University (Turkey). “We discovered that the degree of partner responsiveness—how much they understand, value, and care for you—is an important predictor of sleep quality,” the researcher said.
Selçuk says healthy, caring relationships are strongly associated with lower anxiety in partners. Quality sleep, also called restorative sleep, requires a relaxed state, he explained. Anxiety or stress at the end of the day can make it hard to fall asleep or cause frequent awakenings. Much of that has to do with high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, according to Newsweek.
Cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day, peaking early in the morning and dropping to their lowest point at night. Essentially, cortisol acts like a biochemical cup of coffee: it boosts alertness in the morning and then declines through the day, helping us rest at night.
But chronic stress can disrupt these daily cycles, and elevated nighttime cortisol can harm sleep quality.
Selçuk says people who live with a responsive partner tend to have healthier daily cortisol patterns. Couples who help regulate each other’s hormone levels may be able to improve their sleep on their own.
The interaction between oxytocin and cortisol may also affect sleep quality, since oxytocin can lower cortisol levels.
“However, struggling to fall asleep doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong with your relationship,” Selçuk added. Romantic relationships are just one of many factors that influence sleep. Other factors include work relationships, physical health, stress, noise, and bedroom lighting.
“To keep the spark in relationships while also getting health benefits like cortisol regulation and better sleep, it’s essential to fill the relationship with new positive experiences,” Emre Selçuk emphasized.
