Prospective Prediction of Sleep Quality and Duration from Relationship Effectiveness and Life Stress

• In Event: 3-085 - Sleep in the Context of Risk and Adversity: A Lifespan Perspective

Integrative Statement

Researchers find that both the level of stress and the quality of a person’s current romantic relationship predicts his or her sleep outcomes. Stress has been found to be a precipitating factor of sleep quality and duration (e.g., Benham, 2010; Drake, Pillai, & Roth, 2014). Although research has examined whether exposure to stressful events specific to one’s relationship predicts sleep outcomes (e.g., divorce; Cartwright & Wood, 1991), no research was found examining whether features of romantic relationships predict exposure to stressful life events outside of these relationships. Additionally, although people who are involved in higher quality relationships report better sleep outcomes compared to those in poorer quality relationships (e.g., Troxel, 2010; Troxel, Robles, Hall, & Buysse, 2007), no research has examined whether relationship relevant-characteristics, perceptions, and behavioral tendencies across different romantic relationships over time predict sleep quality and/or duration. The current research connects two disparate literatures: (a) stress sleep and (b) relationships sleep. We examine whether (a) relationship effectiveness and stress exposure at age 23 predicts later relationship effectiveness and stress exposure at age 32, and, (b) stress exposure and relationship effectiveness both predict sleep at age 37.
The current study uses data from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA; Egeland & Brunnquell, 1979; Sroufe, Egeland, Carlson, & Collins, 2005), a longitudinal study of first-born children of mothers living below the poverty line in 1975-76 (when they were in the third trimester of pregnancy with their firstborn child). We followed the child participants from birth through age 39 years. In the current sample (N=112; 55% women), approximately 66% of participants were White/non-Hispanic, 20% were multiracial, 11% were African American, and 3% were Native American, Hispanic, or Asian American.
Focal variables were derived from three waves: 23, 32, and 37 years old. Relationship effectiveness (23 and 32 years) was rated by independent, trained coders from participant interviews and measures the extent to which individuals are able to form and maintain high-quality relationships contributing to a positive sense of self. Stress (23, 32, and 37 years) measures both exposure to and severity of the disruption caused by potentially stressful events (e.g., victim of a crime, job loss, illness or injury) within the past year based on participant interviews; questions related to relationship stress were not included in the total score. Sleep quality and duration were assessed at age 37 with a health survey given to participants. Covariates included sex, ethnicity, prenatal maternal education, participants’ income, participants’ education, and depressive symptoms at 37 years.
Three path analysis models using maximum likelihood estimation were tested using Mplus 7.3 (Muthen & Muthen, 1998-2014) to evaluate the effects of stress and relationship effectiveness on later sleep quality/duration (Table 1). The best-fitting model revealed longitudinal associations linking greater stress exposure in early adulthood with poorer sleep quality at age 37 (Figure 1). Relationship effectiveness longitudinally predicted lower stress exposure and longer sleep duration. Predictive associations were robust to covariates, highlighting the unique significance of stress and relationship effectiveness for adulthood sleep.

Authors

• Michelle Englund, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  Presenting Author

• Chloe O. Huelsnitz, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jeffry A. Simpson, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author

• Alexander J. Rothman, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
  Non-Presenting Author