4 Ways Lack of Sleep Damages Your Love Life

Could sleep deprivation be ruining your love life? If you’re consistently sleep deprived when you interact with your significant other or the people you want to date, this is a potential danger. Consider the following 4 ways that sleep deprivation might be damaging your love life:

1. Lack of Sleep Makes You Appear to Be Less Alluring

Remember that old cliché about needing your beauty sleep? As it turns out, there is more than just a grain of truth in it. Researchers in Sweden conducted an experimental study revealing that sleep-deprived people were perceived as being less healthy and less alluring than their well-rested counterparts. 

The researchers concluded that people have the ability to pick up on, and respond to, sleep related facial cues. If you’re dating, or in the early stages of a relationship, it’s especially important to be aware of this perceptive ability; it’s ideal if you can avoid triggering it by getting enough sleep and looking your best.

2. Poor Sleep Results in More Relationship Conflicts

When you sleep poorly, you’re more likely to fight with your romantic partner than you are when you’re well-rested, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. Furthermore, the researchers noted that conflict resolution was most frequently achieved after both partners had obtained sufficient sleep.

3. Your Sense of Humor Typically Vanishes When You’re Sleep Deprived

Having a good sense of humor makes you seem more attractive to others. However, when you’re sleep deprived, your high-level cognition becomes impaired, which in turn dulls your sense of humor.

4. Sleep Deprivation Can Harm Your Memory 

A good memory is essential for successfully maintaining your love life; you have to keep on top of remembering the plans you’ve made with your significant other, not to mention birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. You also want to remember the conversations you’ve had and the things your romantic partner appreciates and values.

Research has revealed that sleep deprivation can put your memory in jeopardy. This is because your brain uses the time when you are sleeping to consolidate your many memories and organize access to them in case you need to retrieve them later.

After reviewing the existing body of medical literature regarding sleep deprivation and relationships, you can see that there’s plenty of evidence indicating how successful romantic relationships are extremely dependent on healthy amounts of sleep. 

There are different possible approaches to sleeping well; for example, you may wish to implement a new sleep routine or ritual that assists you with beating insomnia. Research also suggests that core body temperature seems to have a direct influence on sleepiness and sleep propensity, so it’s ideal to ensure that you’re sleeping in an environment that isn’t too hot or cold.

If you’re dealing with chronic insomnia that persists even if you’re carefully following a sleep routine and sleeping in a restful environment, it’s wise to speak with your doctor about the situation; hopefully your doctor can help you diagnose the problem and determine the best actions you can take for resolving it. Your love life depends on you getting normal amounts of sleep, so it is important to take action and resolve lingering insomnia issues as soon as possible.