Sleep Deprivation Causes Us To Take Our Partners For Granted
02/06/2013
You’ve likely seen it in yourself. When you’re tired all you can think about is how tired you are. The feelings of those around come in second to that lagging heaviness that takes over your world. At the same time, you’re cranky and quick to snap at those around you.
So it should come as no surprise that a lack of sleep presents problems to your partner as well because you end up taking them for granted. Lack of sleep causes selfishness.
According to Medical News Today, a new study at the University of California Berkeley, presented at the annual meeting for the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, found that not getting enough sleep makes us less aware of our partner's needs and feelings.
Amie Gordon, a UC Berkeley psychologist and lead investigator of the study said on Medical News Today, "Poor sleep may make us more selfish as we prioritize our own needs over our partner's."
Sixty couples between the ages of 18 and 56 participated in the study by writing down their sleep patterns. When they didn't get enough sleep, they wrote how they treated their partners.
According to the story,
In the second part, the participants were observed by videotape while completing problem-solving tasks. Results showed that partners who slept poorly exhibited less appreciation for their significant other.
In an additional part of the study, participants were asked to record five things they were grateful for as their last night's sleep was examined for quality by the researchers. Those people who had a poor night's sleep felt less appreciative after listing the five things, in comparison to those who had slept well.
It's hard to think of others when you're not at your best. The same is true when you're depressed or feeling ill. Sleep is an essential part of life. Even if you think you can survive on minimal sleep, you're not living up to your full potential and you may be sacrificing your relationship.
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