Relationship insecurity explains the connection between poor sleep and jealousy

Relationship insecurity explains the connection between poor sleep and jealousy

A new study to be presented at the Sleep 2025 annual meeting found that poor sleep quality is linked to relationship insecurity, which moderates the impact of sleep quality on daily feelings of jealousy.

The results show that anxious attachment, which includes difficulties with trust and low self-esteem in relationships, is linked to poorer sleep quality. The study also found that poor sleep quality was associated with more daily feelings of jealousy, but this effect was only significant for those with high concern for attachment anxiety.

Interestingly, poor sleep was not uniformly associated with all negative socioemotional outcomes. This suggests that attachment style may influence the emotions that are most affected by sleep quality. “

Giovanni Alvarado, lead author and graduate student at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep is essential to health. The AASM recommends that adults should regularly sleep 7 or more hours per night to promote optimal health. In addition to appropriate duration, healthy sleep requires good quality, appropriate timing and regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbances or disorders.

The study involved 68 young adults completing questionnaires about sleep and relationships. They also completed daily self-reports to record experiences of social emotions and behaviors over a two-week period.

Alvarado says the study highlights the complex connection between sleep and relationships.

"People with anxious attachment or those who struggle with insecurity in relationships may be particularly vulnerable to feelings of envy and jealousy when they are sleep deprived," Alvarado said. "This helps us understand why some people may have more difficulty navigating social situations when they are tired and consider targeted interventions that take into account a person's relationship style when treating sleep problems."

The research abstract was recently published in an online supplement to the journal Sleep and will be presented on Tuesday, June 10, during Sleep 2025 in Seattle. Sleep is the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

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