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Lack of appreciation may be due to sleep deprivation

Written by: Thane Burnett, QMI Agency
Jan. 21, 2013

(Fotolia Photo)

Your spouse may not be the insensitive, cruel, mother-was-right, good-for-nothing deadweight you accused them of being.

They may just need another hour in bed.

Research from the University of California Berkeley has found what won't surprise anyone in a relationship -- though it's not often listed among possible reasons for a relationship to break down. A lack of sleep may play a quiet role when romantic partners feel unappreciated.

Amie Gordon's study looked at whether sleep deprivation has an impact on gratitude -- or more specifically, not telling your other half 'thank you' enough.

"I think some people recognize that they are grouchier when they are severely lacking in sleep, but I don't think that most of us really get the impact that sleep has on how we interact with others," the psychologist tells QMI Agency.

She points out her studies are not looking at people with severe sleep problems, noting: "These are people getting 5-10 hours a night, so our studies show that even just a little less sleep than usual is associated with being less grateful."

It's no secret that many people are dead tired most of the time.

Researchers at Laval University estimated four out of 10 Canadians have some form of sleep disorder.

Gordon tested more than 60 couples -- from 18-years-old to 56 -- and had them keep diaries of sleep patterns. They also tracked how appreciative they were to their spouses during the same time.

The researcher had the couples perform problem-solving puzzles. If a person had not slept well, they treated their partner with less respect.

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