When one person has sleep issues, both can suffer. Certain sleep disorders, like snoring, have been shown to reduce the quality of relationships, largely because the person hearing the snoring experiences disrupted sleep. Women living with snorers, for instance, are three times as likely to report sleep problems themselves. Insomnia has also been linked to lower relationship satisfaction.

Research into couples’ sleeping patterns reveals a curious dynamic. When objective measures like brain waves or eye movements are examined, people are found to generally sleep better when they sleep by themselves than when they sleep with a bed partner. To read more by BRUCE FEILER, click here.

Donna Shanahan, LMFT practices Couples Therapy Pasadena, CA Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.