According to a new study, having a loved one to hug you in bed is not only pleasant, but it can help you sleep better.
Researchers at the University of Arizona found that those who share a bed with a spouse or partner sleep better than those who sleep alone, and may even be at lower risk for problems such as insomnia and sleep apnea. .
“Very few research studies explore this, but our findings suggest that sleeping alone or with a partner, family member, or pet can affect our sleep health,” said Dr. Michael Grandner, director of University Sleep and Health Research Program. of Arizona and lead author of the study, he said in a press release. “We were very surprised to learn how important this could be.”
The research, presented last week at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, focused on data from about 1,000 adults living in southeastern Pennsylvania.
These data were collected in the study SHADES (Sleep and health activity, diet, environment and socialization), which aimed to ask a series of questions to a cohort of participants in order to get a better picture of how sleep affects to various parts of our health. .
Participants filled out surveys reporting how often they shared a bed with a partner or spouse, a child or children, pets, other family members, or anyone else.
They measured insomnia, sleep quality, fatigue, and the risk of sleep apnea using established rates for these problems. They also analyzed age, gender, race, income, and education to see if these confused the results.
Those who responded that they slept with a partner or spouse “most nights” scored higher on sleep quality than those who slept alone. They also showed less WASO – “waking up after the onset of sleep,” which is when a person experiences wakefulness after falling asleep clearly, a measure of sleep fragmentation.
“Sleeping with a romantic partner or spouse proves to have great benefits for sleep health, such as reducing the risk of sleep apnea, the severity of sleep insomnia, and the general improvement in sleep quality. “Brandon Fuentes, a graduate researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona and the lead author of the study, said in a statement.
However, those who often shared a bed with a child reported higher levels of insomnia, less control over their sleep, and appeared to have a higher risk of apnea.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which a person’s breathing while sleeping is erratic and can stop or start abruptly, and can be dangerous.
Sleeping with a partner was also associated with less depression and anxiety compared to those who slept alone more often, while sharing a bed with a child more often was associated with higher stress.
The study has limitations, including the fact that it was based on self-reported impacts through surveys, which may not have reflected the full extent of whether or not participants experienced good sleep.