TY - JOUR

T1 - "Are we in sync with each other?" Exploring the effects of cosleeping on heterosexual couplestextquotesingle sleep using simultaneous polysomnography

T2 - A pilot study

AU - Drews, Henning Johannes

AU - Wallot, Sebastian

AU - Weinhold, Sara Lena

AU - Mitkidis, Panagiotis

AU - Baier, Paul Christian

AU - Roepstorff, Andreas

AU - Goeder, Robert

PY - 2017/1/1

Y1 - 2017/1/1

N2 - The present study aimed to explore dynamic and interactive aspects of cosleep in heterosexual couples. The sample consisted of eight young healthy adults who belonged to four heterosexual couples with a good relationship quality and a history of cosleeping. All individuals underwent simultaneous polysomnography in a sleep laboratory for four nights in which they slept individually and with their partner. Also, a sleep protocol of subjective sleep measures was completed. Statistical analyses included cross recurrence quantification analysis to assess synchronization during sleep. Cosleeping was associated with better subjective sleep quality, increased total sleep time, sleep efficiency, total slow wave sleep, and REM sleep. Sleep stages were more synchronized during cosleep independent of awakenings. Cardiorespiratory measures remained unchanged. The results indicate that young healthy couples in good relationships benefit from cosleeping on a subjective and objective level. Combining simultaneous polysomnography and cross recurrence quantification analysis is a promising method to study dynamic and interactive aspects of cosleep possibly leading to deeper understanding of the role of sleep for sociality, the nature of REM sleep, and the partner as a social zeitgeber. Moreover, clinical implications may arise from these findings.

AB - The present study aimed to explore dynamic and interactive aspects of cosleep in heterosexual couples. The sample consisted of eight young healthy adults who belonged to four heterosexual couples with a good relationship quality and a history of cosleeping. All individuals underwent simultaneous polysomnography in a sleep laboratory for four nights in which they slept individually and with their partner. Also, a sleep protocol of subjective sleep measures was completed. Statistical analyses included cross recurrence quantification analysis to assess synchronization during sleep. Cosleeping was associated with better subjective sleep quality, increased total sleep time, sleep efficiency, total slow wave sleep, and REM sleep. Sleep stages were more synchronized during cosleep independent of awakenings. Cardiorespiratory measures remained unchanged. The results indicate that young healthy couples in good relationships benefit from cosleeping on a subjective and objective level. Combining simultaneous polysomnography and cross recurrence quantification analysis is a promising method to study dynamic and interactive aspects of cosleep possibly leading to deeper understanding of the role of sleep for sociality, the nature of REM sleep, and the partner as a social zeitgeber. Moreover, clinical implications may arise from these findings.

KW - Psychology

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/54a289c9-3bb3-39e1-8ad0-21fada08825a/

U2 - 10.1155/2017/8140672

DO - 10.1155/2017/8140672

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 28465841

VL - 2017

JO - Sleep Disorders

JF - Sleep Disorders

SN - 2090-3553

M1 - 8140672

ER -