The Spillover, Crossover, and Lagged Effects of Stress on Sleep in Married Couples

• In Event: 067 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 11. Life Course Perspectives on Marriage and Its Consequences

Abstract

A growing body of research documents the negative effects of stressors on sleep duration and sleep quality. Past research on stress and sleep has focused on individuals, yet the consequences of stressors on sleep may be especially salient in the context of marital relationships where spouses experience and react to stress together. We use dyadic baseline and diary data to examine the spillover, crossover, and lagged effects of various stressors on daily sleep duration and sleep quality for both spouses in same-sex and different-sex marriages. Results indicate that numerous respondent- and partner-reported stressors are harmful to sleep, and that the effects of daily stressors may persist for several days. We extend the existing literature on stress and sleep by using dyadic daily diary data and including same-sex as well as different-sex married couples. Understanding the social factors that contribute to sleep is especially important given the importance of sleep for numerous measures of health and mortality.

Authors

• Rachel Donnelly, University of Texas at Austin

• Gracia Sierra, University of Texas-Austin