Will Improving My Marriage Improve My Sleep?
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy
Volume
18
Issue
2
Publisher
Routledge
Publication Date
1-15-2018
First Page
85
Last Page
103
Abstract
An essential component to overall health and well-being is sleep. Likewise, being happily married is associated with better physical, mental, and emotional health. In the present study, we examined links between marital satisfaction (MS) and aspects of sleep quality (SQ) among married individuals (N = 88) aged 39 to 64 years. Data were collected at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Regression analyses showed that MS at baseline was positively associated with overall SQ and sleep disturbance frequency at baseline and was negatively associated with minutes to fall asleep at follow-up. Results suggested that participants with greater MS at baseline reported better overall SQ at baseline and falling asleep faster at follow-up. However, results varied when controlling for other relevant covariates (e.g., age, depression, pain). Additionally, a negative change in MS between baseline and follow-up was a positive predictor of sleep disturbance frequency at follow-up, suggesting that participants whose MS decreased over time were more likely to report more frequent sleep disturbances 6 months later. Findings indicate that MS is linked with various aspects of SQ in married, middle-aged adults. Clinical implications, limitations of the current study, and areas for future research are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Brown, B. J., Robinson, W. D., Jensen, J. F., Seedall, R. B., Hodgson, J., & Norton, M. C. (2019). Will improving my marriage improve my sleep? Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, 18, 85-103. doi:10.1080/15332691.2017.1417938