Sleeping well? You must be happily married

Happily married women had less trouble falling or staying asleep as compared to unhappily married women.

They also had more restful sleep than their unhappy sisters, a new study has found.

The study, by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, was based on 1,938 married women with an average age of 46 years.

The subjects reported their marital happiness, sleep quality and frequency of difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or early morning awakenings.

According to the results, higher levels of marital happiness were associated with a lesser risk of having multiple sleep complaints in some women.

'Divorced individuals tend to have more sleep problems than those who are married; however, among the married, we know very little about how differences in marital quality may be linked with sleep,' said Wendy M. Troxel, who led the study.

'The present results show that happily married women have fewer sleep problems than unhappily married women.'

Sleep plays a vital role in promoting a woman's health and well-being. Getting the required amount of sleep is likely to enhance a woman's overall quality of life, including the quality of her relationship.

Yet, women face many potential barriers - depression or psychological stress - that can disrupt and disturb her sleep. Overcoming these challenges can help her enjoy the daily benefits of feeling alert and well rested.

It is recommended that women get between seven and eight hours of nightly sleep.

The findings of the study were presented Monday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.