Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90401, USA.
Ann Behav Med. 2017 Dec;51(6):879-889. doi: 10.1007/s12160-017-9911-3.
Emerging research has begun to examine associations between relationship functioning and sleep. However, these studies have largely relied on self-reported evaluations of relationships and/or of sleep, which may be vulnerable to bias.
The purpose of the study was to examine associations between relationship functioning and sleep in military couples. This is the first research to examine associations between observed relationship behaviors and subjective and polysomnographically measured sleep in a sample at-risk for both sleep and relationship problems.
The sample included 35 military veterans and their spouses/partners. Marital functioning was coded from a videotaped conflict interaction. Analyses focused on behavioral codes of hostility and relationship-enhancing attributions. Sleep was assessed via self-report and in-home polysomnography.
Greater hostility was associated with poorer sleep efficiency for oneself (b = -0.195, p = .013). In contrast, greater relationship-enhancing attributions were associated with higher percentages of stage N3 sleep (b = 0.239, p = .028). Partners' hostility was also positively associated with higher percentages of stage N3 sleep (b = 0.272, p = .010). Neither hostility nor relationship-enhancing attributions was associated with self-reported sleep quality, percentage of REM sleep, or total sleep time.
Both partners' positive and negative behaviors during conflict interactions were related to sleep quality. These findings highlight the role that effective communication and conflict resolution skills may play in shaping not only the marital health of veterans and their spouses but also the physical health of both partners as well. Understanding the links between relationship functioning and sleep may be important targets of intervention in the aftermath of war.
新兴研究开始研究关系功能与睡眠之间的关联。然而，这些研究在很大程度上依赖于对关系和/或睡眠的自我报告评估，这可能容易受到偏差的影响。
本研究旨在研究军人夫妇的关系功能与睡眠之间的关联。这是第一项研究，在一个存在睡眠和关系问题风险的样本中，研究观察到的关系行为与主观和多导睡眠图测量的睡眠之间的关联。
该样本包括 35 名退伍军人及其配偶/伴侣。婚姻功能是从录制的冲突互动视频中编码的。分析重点是敌对行为和增强关系归因的行为代码。睡眠通过自我报告和家庭多导睡眠图进行评估。
对自己来说，敌对行为与睡眠效率较差相关（b=-0.195，p=0.013）。相比之下，更多的增强关系归因与更高比例的 N3 睡眠阶段相关（b=0.239，p=0.028）。伴侣的敌对行为也与更高比例的 N3 睡眠阶段呈正相关（b=0.272，p=0.010）。敌对行为和增强关系归因都与自我报告的睡眠质量、快速眼动睡眠百分比或总睡眠时间无关。
冲突互动期间双方的积极和消极行为都与睡眠质量有关。这些发现强调了有效沟通和冲突解决技能在塑造退伍军人及其配偶的婚姻健康以及双方的身体健康方面可能发挥的作用。了解关系功能与睡眠之间的联系可能是战争后干预的重要目标。
