If you’re struggling with insomnia, the person sleeping next to you might be part of the problem.
In a new, preliminary study, researchers found that partners of people with insomnia could be unwittingly contributing to the problem by doling out advice that flies in the face of accepted treatment recommendations.
Specifically, about three-quarters of insomnia patients’ partners suggested earlier bedtimes or late wake times to alleviate sleeplessness, according to the study. This advice contrasts with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques for combating insomnia.
More than 40 percent of participants suggested their insomniac partners do things like read or watch TV in bed, while 35 percent recommended limited daytime activities, naps or caffeine.
The study examined 31 partners of patients with insomnia. Both the insomnia patients and their partners answered multiple questionnaires as a baseline for the study, and the partners kept a sleep diary.
Interestingly, the researchers found that when insomniacs’ partners tried accommodating their sleep, partners made the problem worse, leading to increased anxiety. This happened despite the fact that insomnia patients appreciated their partner’s increased attentiveness and rated the relationship as more gratifying.
Including partners in future insomnia research is key, according to the study authors.
“It is therefore important for more data to be collected to determine whether insomnia treatments may better benefit patients and their partners by proactively assessing and addressing bed partner behaviors in treatment programs,” lead study author Alix Mellor of Monash University in Victoria, Australia, said in a statement.
Approximately 108 million Americans have insomnia, and recent research suggests the consequences of sleep deprivation could be as dire as the brain eating itself.
The study abstract was recently published online in the journal Sleep. The full study and data updates were presented at the SLEEP 2017 conference in Boston last night, a joint venture between the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
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Got Insomnia? Your Bed Partner May Be to Blame originally appeared on usnews.com
