It’s a common saying among couples – but new research says hashing things out with your partner before bed might actually be bad for your health. Why?
It found that arguing with your partner while dealing with sleep deprivation led to an increase in stress-related inflammatory responses, which have been related to higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.
The study looked at blood samples and sleep patterns of married couples before and after asking them to talk about topics that tended to cause conflict in their relationship (brave move!) It found these anti-inflammatory markers jumped six per cent for every hour of sleep lost.
Why you should sleep on it
It makes sense – the main function of sleep is to boost your body’s production of a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which provides your body with energy, according to Dr. Charles Czeisler, chairman of the US National Sleep Foundation.
The less sleep, the less ATP you have – and the less different parts of your brain such as the prefrontal cortex, which controls judgment and self-control function. That makes it much more likely you’ll say something you’ll regret later (we’ve all been there).
Deep sleep (or REM sleep) is also where the body stories memories and integrates what you have learned with your other memories. So when you do finally nod off, your brain should be able to make sense of the argument – and give you the mental capacity to resolve it when you wake up.
So it’s alright to maintain the rage – just as long as you work it out in the morning.
