Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Observed relationship behaviors and sleep in military Veterans and their partners.
Journal Name
Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Journal Volume
51
Page Numbers
879–889
DOI
10.1007/s12160-017-9911-3
Summary
Relationship functioning is associated with various aspects of individuals' lives, including sleep quality. This study examined relationship functioning and sleep quality of 35 Veteran couples, a sample which is at risk of relationship and sleep issues. Results indicated that individuals' hostility (e.g., criticism, hostile voice tone) and relationship-enhancing attributions (e.g., attributing negative events to external factors rather than to the partner) were associated with the sleep quality of both themselves and partners.
Key Findings
Participants (both Veterans and civilians)' hostility toward their partner was negatively associated with their sleep efficiency (the efficiency of falling asleep); on the contrary, participants' relationship-enhancing attributions were positively associated with their percentage of Stage N3 sleep (deep sleep).
The more hostility participants perceived from partner, the less Stage N3 sleep they would have.
Hostility and relationship-enhancing attributions were not associated with self-reported sleep quality, total sleep time, or percentage of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop workshops for military couples on effective ways to increase their relationship harmony and reduce conflicts
Disseminate information to Service members regarding ways to increase their sleep quality
Offer support groups for military couples who are experiencing marital problems so that they can learn from and support each other
Implications for Policy Makers
Raise awareness on military bases regarding the importance of marital functioning on Service members' and military spouses' health
Recommend education of professionals working with military couples on the associations between relationship functioning and sleep quality
Encourage marriage education programs that promote relationship-enhancing attributions and reduce hostility in marriage
Methods
Participants were eligible for the study if they were married, between the age of 18 and 45 years old, and shared a bed regularly; the method of recruitment was not indicated.
Each couple's interactions were observed in the laboratory for 15 minutes and coded as hostility or relationship-enhancing attributions, and each individual's sleep quality was monitored at home for two nights; in addition, participants reported subjective sleep quality by completing a questionnaire.
Data were analyzed to examine the associations between relationship interaction patterns and sleep quality.
Participants
Participants were 35 heterosexual couples; at least one partner of each couple was a Veteran, and individuals with psychiatric or medical conditions were included in the study.
The average age of participants was 30.88 years (SD = 5.38), and the race/ethnicity of the participants was not reported.
The majority of Veterans served in the Army (62%); the military branches of the rest of the Veterans were not reported.
Limitations
Participants were all Veteran couples, so caution must be taken to generalize the findings to Active Duty and NGR military families.
The cross-sectional design of the study made it impossible to understand the causal relationship between relationship functioning and sleep quality.
Only heterosexual couples were included in the study, so results of the study may not apply to homosexual couples.
Avenues for Future Research
Recruit Active Duty Service members and their spouses to examine the association between relationship functioning and sleep quality in military families
Conduct longitudinal studies to examine the causal relationship between sleep quality and marital quality
Examine other factors that are associated with Veteran couples' sleep quality
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
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.
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