Kalms Night has found that 20.4 million Brits are rowing with their loved ones due to lack of sleep- so we take a look at 10 ways sleep deprivation can make your relationship worse.
It can drive you apart
Gratitude- If you are all wrapped up with how tired you are feeling and how you must get to bed early to make up for the loss- things can be overlooked. You may not say thanks to your partner for making you your evening meal, picking up your dry cleaning or feeding the pets to alleviate the pressure a bit. A continued lack of gratitude for the things your partner does to you help out can make them feel unappreciated. Make sure you are thankful for everything they do for you even if you're tired.
Empathy- They say everyone's problems are important because they are their own, however if this comes at the expense of your empathy for your partner's worries, then it can seem like you are only interested in your life not your joint one. It is your responsibility to your partner to listen and show concern when they are unhappy or worried.
Working together- This singular thinking makes you work together less and you start to act like roommates rather than a couple.
Sex life- If bed only means an attempt to get some overdue sleep- sex will be off the cards night after night, making you friends who share a mattress rather than a sexually active couple.
Distracted sleep- The insomniac might spend the night tossing and turning, making rest difficult for the good sleeper. One poor sleeper is bad enough but two can make for unpleasant living conditions indeed.
Differing time clocks- The well-rested of the two of you wants to get up and do stuff with your weekend- the other wants to stay in bed because they only got to sleep a few hours ago. Your quality time together is compromised and once the day is nearly over- couples get less enthusiastic about what to do with their rest of it.
Lack of intimacy- This doesn't necessarily mean sex- but the sheer closeness of kissing, cuddling or touching toes and fingertips in bed, makes a couple feel more connected. Without these little reminders of intimacy, the body can forget.
Negative thinking- A lack of energy and patience can make you gravitate towards a negative outcome or outlook. Your mind suddenly goes to default 'negative' so whatever efforts your partner makes are wasted because you will not see the good in them.
Reactive- Your partner might tell you that they are going out with their mates and normally you would organise something with yours as you don't often get the chance. But after no or little sleep you see it as a rejection of your quality time and that your partner prefers their mates over you.
Lose perspective-Something that you can normally rationalise becomes too much for you to handle- you lose sight of what's important and what you are lucky to have and focus on what your life lacks. A slippery slope to nowhere.