For wives who have trouble going to sleep, marriage interactions turn substantially more negative than positive for both partners, according to a new study. In contrast, when husbands sleep poorly, there is little difference in how the couples relate the next day. Probably because women are generally more expressive and tend to drive the emotional climate of the relationship, wives who can't sleep are more likely to express stress, be irritable and verbalise their feelings.
Though a wife's inability to sleep may stir negative feelings in a marriage, other problems in the relationship can also result in bedtime insomnia, sporadic wakefulness during the night and inadequate deep sleep. Ongoing sleep problems should be clinically addressed and marriage therapy started if the relationship is in trouble.