There are many people who suffer from lack of sleep due to, for example, a snoring partner or a crying baby. If this continues for nights in a row, it will also bother you during the day and hinder your daily functioning. This can lead to extreme fatigue and irritability and can ultimately threaten your relationship. A partner of a snorer sleeps on average two hours less per night. The arrival of a baby affects your relationship with your partner. If the baby keeps you awake at night, this can also lead to relationship problems.
Sleep deprivation
One person needs just five hours of sleep per night, while another needs at least eight hours to feel good during the day. Insomnia can have various causes, but the cause does not always have to be your own. For example, a snoring partner, a crying baby or noisy neighbors can keep you awake. If this continues for a longer period of time, it can lead to all kinds of complaints such as: extreme fatigue, irritability, dysfunction and concentration problems. If you don’t feel good about yourself, relationship problems can arise.
Relationship problems
Maybe your partner doesn’t understand you, thinks it’s not that bad or you can’t talk about it with each other. For example, a snoring partner can drive you crazy and there are relationships that have broken down as a result of snoring. Having to care for a crying baby all night long, while your partner may be getting enough sleep, can lead to annoyance and frustration. You may be completely exhausted and take it out on your partner. Tension arises between you and it can lead to explosive arguments. Often there are other things that are not going completely well, but due to the lack of sleep, problems can be considered more serious.
Snoring partner
A partner who snores can pose a serious threat to your relationship. In addition to the necessary annoyance, someone who lies next to a snorer gets an average of two hours less sleep per night. One in three partners suffers from sleep deprivation as a result of a snoring partner. In addition to fatigue and a bad mood during the day, this also causes annoyance and frustration during the night. It is not surprising that in the long term it can cause major irritations and problems in the relationship.
Solution
Together you can see if there is anything you can do about your snoring. It may be that the muscles in the throat are weakened, there is excess weight causing the fatty tissue to press into the throat, or a nasal septum that is crooked. Maybe something can be done about it. If problems are not of a medical nature or cannot be solved, it is better for your mood and sleep to sleep separately. After all, the most important thing is that both partners can rest well.
The arrival of a baby
When the proud new parents are kept awake every night by the baby, it can be a disaster for your daytime functioning. Not only the above-mentioned complaints play a role, but it can put a lot of pressure on your relationship. Broken nights have a great influence on how you interact with each other as parents and as partners. Research has shown that the more sleep parents get, the more satisfied they are with their partner. Especially when both parents have to work during the day, the pressure can become very great. Dissatisfied parents who have relationship problems are usually a less good parent for the child.
Solution
The arrival of a baby simply affects your night’s sleep. You can make good preparation by requesting information from a midwife or doctor. Be prepared for things to get tough and try to avoid relationship problems. Parents often overestimate the number of hours their partner sleeps. It is good to discuss this with each other before the baby arrives. For example, you can agree that the mother can sleep in on Saturday and the father on Sunday. A well-rested person is not only a better parent, but also a better partner.
Make time for each other
Whatever the reason for lying awake at night, spending time together is important for a good relationship. Discuss the problems with each other so that there is mutual understanding. Also do fun things together so that it is not just about the problems. For example, go away for a weekend without children and spend all the time together. If snoring is the cause, sleep separately to get a good rest and do fun things together during the day.
read more
- Insomnia due to crying baby
- SAT relationship: sleeping apart and a happy relationship
- Relationship problems: divorce or stay?
- Insomnia: how can you best deal with it?
- Annoyances in a relationship: what can you do about them?