Lack of Sleep Can Turn You Into a Resentful Monster

Obviously “waking up on the wrong side of the bed” is a very real menace—I’ve been storming around all morning because last night I had a dream that I got fat-shamed by Guy Fieri. (He was passing around “Guy’s Bitchin’ Pork Gelatin Garlic Fries” and he goes, “Here, Lindy, you look like you want the BIGGEST HONKER IN THERE,” and the thing that really stung was that I did want it. I DID.) So, I mean, ‘kay, grumpy people are grumpy, news at 11. But here’s a new sleep study that sheds some light on how, precisely, poor quality of sleep can affect our relationships.

When we’re sleepy, the study suggests, we tend to prioritize ourselves over our partners and let the important little things slide. We forget to say “thank you,” for instance; we run out of energy for the little niceties that keep a relationship running smoothly. When we’re tired we are total jerks.

“Poor sleep may make us more selfish as we prioritize our own needs over our partner’s,” says Amie Gordon, a UC Berkeley psychologist and lead investigator of the study. She presented the findings Saturday, January 19, at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychologists in New Orleans.

“You may have slept like a baby, but if your partner didn’t, you’ll probably both end up grouchy,” Gordon adds. She also noted that for many couples, nighttime can turn into a battleground due to snoring, sheet-tugging or one partner reading while the other tosses and turns.

To reach her findings, Gordon recruited more than 60 couples, ranging in age from 18 to 56. Subjects kept a diary of their sleep patterns and feelings toward their partner. In one experiment, couples were videotaped while performing a problem-solving task. Those who slept badly the night before showed less appreciation for their partner.

My dude is still sleeping so I haven’t had a chance to resent him yet, but now I feel totally guilty about what a bitch I could have been if I hadn’t read this article and checked myself. CURSE YOU, GUY FIERI.

(Bonus: Here’s the link that finally de-grouchified me just now. I am 99% sure that Hot Rockin’ Fun Derek was my first crush.)