Childhood Adversity and Sleep Quality in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Marriages

• 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 impact that childhood adversity has on sleep quality, sleep duration, and sleep disorders in adulthood. However, due to the known benefits of marriage, the enduring consequences of childhood adversity may operate differently in the context of marriage in a way that is protective of individuals’ sleep quality. Alternatively, heightened vigilance and reactivity influence the ways that individuals interact with their spouses and may compromise the intimacy and support often offered by marital relationships. Higher levels of childhood adversity compared to heterosexuals could contribute to differences in sleep quality for same-sex and different-sex individuals. This study relies on survey data from both spouses in same-sex and different-sex marriages to explore how childhood adversity shapes sleep quality by gender and sexual orientation. Results indicate that childhood adversity has a lasting influence on health in adulthood by compromising sleep quality for same-sex and different-sex married couples. This study extends the existing literature by considering the role of childhood adversity in the context of marriage and including same-sex married couples.

Author

• Rachel Donnelly, University of Texas at Austin